Gimme More 35,802 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 About 1,300 people are being evacuated from a cruise ship off the western coast of Norway, authorities have said. Police in the county of More og Romsdal say the ship has suffered engine problems, and all those aboard are being taken to shore. Norway's sea rescue agency said the MV Viking Sky sent out a distress signal amid high waves and strong winds. Five helicopters and several ships are taking part in the evacuation, the agency said. However, a freighter - Hagland Captain - also lost engine power and two helicopters were diverted to rescue its crew. There are photos of the freighter on social media. News of a cruise ship suffering engine problems first came through at about 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT). Reports suggest the ship has since managed to restart one engine and move slightly further from the coast as the evacuation continues. Fisherman Jan Erik Fiskerstrand, whose boat was one of the first to come to help MV Viking Sky, told Aftenposten newspaper, "it was just minutes before this could have gone really wrong". The ship could have hit the rocks "if they had not started the engine and fastened the anchor". It is unclear how many people have been rescued so far, with some saying up to 100 have already been brought to shore. But police warned the figures will vary, and said they would "wait for counting until further notice". Each helicopter can carry between 15 and 20 people. Nobody has been seriously hurt so far, police said. However, there are reports eight people have suffered minor injuries. It also reports that most on board are British and American, but there are passengers from many other countries on the ship as well. Sea rescue services said the ship was being held steady and the evacuation was ongoing. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute says some waves are more than 10 metres high, with one local newspaper reporting lifeboats were forced to turn back en route to the ship due to the "brutal" conditions. Those brought ashore are being taken to a local sports complex. One volunteer said about 80 had arrived so far, and accommodation had been found for them in local hotels. MV Viking Sky is a Viking Ocean Cruises ship, which had its maiden voyage in 2017. Website MarineTraffic shows the vessel was en route to Stavanger from Tromso, and is drifting off the town of Farstad near Molde on the country's western coast. The area is known as the Hustadvika and is reportedly one of the most dangerous stretches of Norway's coast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Cruise ships are so sh!tty. They're hotspots for viruses Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Economy 53,073 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 That's insane and my wifey @Chantelleb is going on a cruise in a month and a bit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FATCAT 60,909 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 WHY IS NONE OF THE FURNITURE BOLTED DOWN. Get yo **** together, Europe! This kitten over here (meow) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eighteen 5,430 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 i feel like going on a cruise ship these days is like as bad as taking a schooner to cross the atlantic in the 1800s xD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme More 35,802 Posted March 23, 2019 Author Share Posted March 23, 2019 i've never found the idea of cruise ships appealing and always found it kind of scary and this recent news confirmed i never want to go on a cruise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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