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Norwegian police to investigate why Viking Sky cruise ship set sail despite storm warnings

The cruise ship Viking Sky drifts towards land after an engine failure  - REUTERS
The cruise ship Viking Sky drifts towards land after an engine failure - REUTERS

A Norwegian cruise ship firm has been accused of “recklessly” putting passengers at risk by setting sail despite storm warnings, forcing an evacuation.

Police and other agencies launched an investigation today into why the Viking Sky was taken out into notoriously perilous waters during bad weather.

The ship, carrying 1,373 passengers and crew, sent out a mayday call on Saturday after it lost power in stormy seas, as it was tossed about in 15-metre waves that sent tables and furniture sliding from side to side. As the ship drifted, it came within 100m of being dashed on treacherous rocks. The incident led to a spectacular airlift rescue, as nearly 500 passengers, many of them elderly, were taken to safety aboard helicopters.

The cruise ship Viking Sky drifts towards land after an engine failure  - Credit: Reuters/Reuters
The cruise ship Viking Sky drifts towards land after an engine failure Credit: Reuters/Reuters

"The risk to the passengers and the vessel was high," Dag Sverre Liseth, director of the marine department at the Accident Investigations Board Norway, told AFP.

Investigators are understood to be examining why the Viking Sky, which was en route from Tromso in the north to Stavanger in the southeast, took the risk of travelling through the tricky stretch of water when a storm had been forecast.

The Finnish captain chose to set sail despite knowing that the Coastal Express, a tourism boat that criss-crosses the country's coast, had chosen not to sail that morning.

Passengers yesterday accused the firm of “recklessly” ignoring weather warnings.

“They knew that we were going to hit rough seas,” David Hernandez told Norwegian reporters.

“The ship should not have been going into those conditions. We should have stayed in the port.”

The billionaire owner of the Viking Sky, Torstein Hagen, on Sunday denied that the decision to sail despite the storm was taken due to financial considerations.

“That’s not what we do,” he said.

The cruise ship Viking Sky, that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway, reaches the port of Molde under its own steam - Credit: Svein Ove Ekornesvaag/AFP
The cruise ship Viking Sky, that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway, reaches the port of Molde under its own steam Credit: Svein Ove Ekornesvaag/AFP

The ship finally docked in the port in the city of Molde, on Norway's west coast, at 4.30pm local time on Sunday, having travelled there under its own power.

Viking Cruises said 20 people suffered injuries and were receiving treatment in Norway, with some already discharged.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are in touch with Norwegian authorities and stand ready to help any British people who require our assistance."