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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Grounded cruiseship freed itself

The grounding on Saturday of a cruiseship off scenic Lofoten in Northern Norway was never considered very dramatic and many of its passengers used the unscheduled stop for some extra sightseeing, reports news bureau NTB.

The vessel Marco Polo had 1,096 people on board when it got stuck in a sandbank off Gravdal in Lofoten. It’s not the first time such a grounding had occurred in the area, and the vessel didn’t take in any water.

Local emergency vessels were standing by, meanwhile, with anti-pollution equipment ready in case the situation changed. Several tugs tried to nudge the ship off its unexpected perch, without success, but as the sands shifted, the vessel was eventually able to free itself.

NTB reported that around 400 passengers remained on board during the grounding while the rest went ashore to take part in excursions or see a bit more of the island of Vestvågøy. The vessel then sailed off for inspections of its hull before continuing the cruise.

newsinenglish.no staff

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