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Listed "Eemslift Hendrika": Hundreds of tons of heavy fuel oil on board
Photo: RESCUE HELICOPTER FLORO / HANDOUT / EPA
A Dutch cargo ship got into distress off the coast of Norway in stormy weather and heavy waves.
The crew of twelve was gradually brought off board by helicopter, as announced by the Norwegian coast administration authority (Kystverket).
One person was injured and was taken to a hospital.
A video of the emergency services shows the spectacular rescue operation on the rocking freighter in the North Sea.
According to the authorities, at least three helicopters had come to the aid of the freighter.
Now the "Eemslift Hendrika" is floating in the water without a crew or propulsion system.
There is still the risk that the ship capsizes and poses a threat to the environment, said Kystverket.
The freighter has around 350 tons of heavy fuel oil and 50 tons of diesel on board.
The load of the "Eemslift Hendrika" had shifted on Easter Monday, which caused the multipurpose freighter to list.
In the meantime, the ship had been stabilized by relocating the cargo.
"We are now waiting for better weather," said a spokesman for Amasus Shipping.
According to the coast administration, the ship initially continued to run on autopilot.
Late on Monday evening, however, the "Eemslift Hendrika" lost its propulsion power.
Ship could hit the coast in a day and a half
When the freighter got into distress, it was about 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) west of Ålesund, which in turn is about 400 kilometers northwest of Oslo on Norway's west coast.
The coast guard was on the way to the ship again on Tuesday, which was drifting towards the coast in waves up to 15 meters high.
The aim is to stabilize the ship so that it does not sink, and to ensure that no oil gets into the sea.
At the current driving speed, it should reach the coast in about a day and a half, the agency estimated.
The Northern European Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic.
It lies between the Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen in the north, Iceland in the west and the long west coast of Norway in the east.
apr / dpa
