PASSENGERS have spoken of their terror as furniture was sent flying in a cruise ship after its engines cut out in storms off the west coast of Norway.
- Rescue helicopters are evacuating dozens of people from a luxury cruise ship that suffered engine failure on Saturday in stormy weather off the west coast of Norway.
- The Viking Sky, with about 1,300 passengers and crew on board, had sent out a mayday signal as it drifted toward land.
- Eight of those evacuated had suffered light injuries.
Water rushed into the cruise liner when the ship’s engines stopped. The crew was later able to restart one engine and the ship was at anchor about 1.5 miles from land.
Passengers were hoisted one-by-one from the deck of the vessel and airlifted to a village just north of the town of Molde on Norway’s west coast.
Only 87 people had been evacuated by 6 pm, and the rescue mission was set to continue throughout the night.
At 7:20 pm local time, a cargo ship trying to reach the liner through the storm also experienced engine problems and sent a distress signal.
A rescue helicopter was quickly sent to airlift the nine-strong crew of the Hagland Captain to safety.
Dramatic images and footage from inside the cruise ship showed passengers standing in rising water.
Alexus Sheppard, from California, tweeted a video of furniture flying across the floor as they waited for the helicopter rescue.
We’re waiting for evacuation by helicopter #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/rqSYaWGi0k
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
She told: “The ship went dark for a few minutes and rolled dramatically. It’s still rocking and rolling. It’s still a very slow process and most people are waiting [to be evacuated].
“We’re about two miles from land but much closer to the rocks.”
She said she’d been on board the cruise ship for nine days.
Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
Cruise passengers described the moment when the ship’s engines stopped, and the evacuation that followed.
Pretty calm at the muster station #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/SKMmj8GQLA
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
“We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos. The trip on the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun,” American passenger John Curry told public broadcaster NRK.
#Update: Confirmed – There is water on the #VikingSky Cruise Ship, And pictures shows that multiple places on the ship managed to be damaged due to the ship swinging sideways and back and furniture smashing into stuff of the coast in #Norway Picture Credit: @oxman78 pic.twitter.com/NsymNnIm85
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis ❁ (@sotiridi) March 23, 2019
A second vessel, a freighter with a crew of nine, was also being evacuated nearby after suffering engine failure, diverting helicopters and thus delaying the cruise ship airlift, the rescue center added.
Two purpose-built vessels operated by the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue had been forced to turn back due to the severe weather, the service said.
Waves were 6-8 meters high, with wind blowing at 24 meters per second, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The storm was expected to last at least until midnight local time (2300 GMT).
