Norway: Hurtigruten ship runs aground

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Expedition ship »Fridtjof Nansen« (archive picture)

Photo: Andre Lenthe / IMAGO

Early on Wednesday morning the expedition ship »Fridtjof Nansen« touched Grund near the Norwegian port of Måløy.

This was announced by the Hurtigruten shipping company on request from the dpa.

Bad weather with strong winds prevailed in the region.

There were 233 guests and 165 crew members on board, nobody was harmed.

There is no danger to passengers, crew or the ship.

The guests should disembark during the day and initially be accommodated in hotels.

According to Hurtigruten, the drive system and the hull of the "Fridtjof Nansen" were damaged by the incident.

This damage would now be examined.

Ship is the youngest of the Hurtigruten fleet

As recordings on the Norwegian radio show, the ship was stable on a quay in the port of Måløy on Wednesday.

Måløy is located on the west coast of Norway about 200 kilometers north of Bergen.

Almost 3300 inhabitants live in the municipality, who live mainly from fishing and processing.

According to the Norwegian news agency NTB, the ship set sail in Hamburg after the New Year and was scheduled to return on January 16 after several stops on the Norwegian coast.

The 140 meter long and almost 24 meter wide ship was completed in 2020 at the Norwegian shipyard Kleven Yards and can accommodate 528 travelers.

ala / dpa