A cruise ship that got into trouble off the Norwegian coast has arrived at the port of Molde in Norway after the dramatic rescue of hundreds of people.
The cruise ship Viking Sky, that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway, reaches the port of Molde under its own steam . Photo: AFP
The Viking Sky lost power on Saturday and sent out a distress signal after it began drifting towards land.
Rescuers airlifted almost 500 of the 1373 people on board from the ship in bad weather.
Footage from inside the vessel show it heaving violently in rough seas, with furniture sliding across the floor.
The Viking Sky's engines were later restarted and evacuations were halted as it then made its way to Molde, accompanied by several tug boats.
Rescuers wait to assist stranded passengers who were airlifted by helicopter from the cruise ship. Photo: AFP
Rescuers said they were ready to resume operations if the captain deemed it necessary.
The Viking Sky suffered engine failure on Saturday afternoon while en route to Stavanger from Tromso in a notoriously treacherous stretch of waters.
The authorities decided to launch airlifts rather than leave people on board and hundreds were hoisted to safety.
Among those rescued, 20 people suffered injuries. Most of the passengers are said to be British or US citizens, many of them elderly.
The cruise's operator said 436 guests and 458 crew remained on board.
A helicopter approaches the Viking Sky near the west coast of Norway. Photo: AFP
Derek Browne, from southern England, who was travelling with his wife Esther told the BBC the ship had been "rolling and rolling" all night on Friday before losing engine power on Saturday.
He said being airlifted to safety was "quite a frightening experience".
George Davis, from Manchester, said he and his wife Barbara waited 10 hours to be rescued.
"It was a very scary event", he said, adding: "Locals tell us they were amazed that we sailed into the teeth of a storm they knew was coming".
In footage from the ship, passengers wearing life jackets are seen waiting to be rescued.
Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard ️ (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
The former South African cricketer Graeme Smith said his parents had been among those airlifted to safety.
One of those still on board, Lara from Birmingham in the UK, said "the crew were magnificent and have kept the remaining passengers safe, warm and fed".
The Viking Sky is a Viking Ocean Cruises ship, which had its maiden voyage in 2017.
The company said "throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and our crew".
- BBC
