Beiruting - Life Style Blog - Viking Sky: hell ride as stricken cruise ship is tossed by rough seas
previous article
next article
Viking Sky: hell ride as stricken cruise ship is tossed by rough seas
(World News) 5 years ago

The Viking Sky lost power on Saturday and sent out a distress signal after it began drifting towards land.

It got into trouble in a notoriously difficult stretch of waters and was reportedly minutes from striking rocks.

The vessel has since restarted three of its four engines and is moving towards the nearest port with the assistance of tugboats.

So far, almost 500 of the 1,373 passengers have been airlifted off the ship. Most of those on board are said to be British or US citizens.

"During the night, the sea was very rough. The boat rolled and rolled. And then we went to breakfast. And then we were going for the afternoon film show, and then the lights suddenly went out," said Derek Browne, from southern England, who was on board with his wife Esther.

"We were airlifted on the helicopter, which was quite a frightening experience."

.

Another rescued passenger, Janet Jacob, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK she had "never seen anything so frightening".

"I started to pray. I prayed for the safety of everyone on board," she said. "The helicopter trip was terrifying."

.

The Viking Sky suffered engine failure on Saturday afternoon while en route to Stavanger from Tromso.

Five helicopters and several rescue ships were called in for the rescue.

One of the rescue ships also lost engine power and a local paper said the "brutal" conditions meant lifeboats were forced to turn back.

Fisherman Jan Erik Fiskerstrand, whose boat was one of the first to come to help 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".

.

Olav Magne Stromsholm, who captains tourist vessels in the area, told the VG newspaper the Viking Sky had been "near disaster", calling the waters there a "shipyard cemetery".

Those brought ashore are being taken to a local sports complex and accommodation had been found for them in local hotels.

Seventeen people have been taken to hospital.

The Viking Sky is a Viking Ocean Cruises ship, which had its maiden voyage in 2017.

 

Source : bbc

FIND YOUR PLACE
search
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Hilton
Enjoy views of Beirut city from Hilton
Enjoy stunning views of Beirut city and the majestic Mount Lebanon from Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand hotel. Ideally locat... read more
CHARLES DE GAULLE STREET HORSH TABE, BEIRUT,L
09 901 701 - 70 50 40 04
view map
Kempinski Summerland Hotel
Luxury 5 Star Resort
Welcome to Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort Beirut, where luxury unfolds in the heart of a historic city.  A mesm... read more
Jnah
09 901 701 - 70 50 40 04
view map
Phoenicia Hotel Beirut
Everybody's elite destination
Lebanon - a colorful Mediterranean country with a magnificent climate, full of unexpected contrasts. It is rich in histo... read more
Minet El HosnBeirut, Lebanon 11846
09 901 701 - 70 50 40 04
view map
Le Gray Beirut
Simply Seductive…
  With the opening of Le Gray, Beirut finally has the hotel it deserves – a contemporary luxury hotel as stylish as the... read more
Martyrs’ Square, Beirut Central District
09 901 701 - 70 50 40 04
view map
The Smallville Hotel
Come in as a guest,leave as a hero
Conveniently located in the charming neighborhood of Badaro, The Smallville Hotel delivers a heroic experience like no o... read more
Damascus Street, Museum District,Badaro, Beir
09 901 701 - 70 50 40 04
view map
FEATURED EVENTS
  • online ordering system for restaurants
  • The best online ordering systems for restaurants
  •