A cruise ship that became stranded off the coast of Norway has made it safely to port.
The Viking Sky, with 1373 passengers and crew on board, sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted towards land in stormy conditions in the Norwegian Sea.
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After rescue services airlifted 479 people to safety, the ship regained engine power on Monday morning and sailed to Molde Harbor accompanied by two supply ships and one tug assist vessel.
In all, the ship spent 20 hours stranded and 20 passengers suffered injuries, according to CNN.
One was taken to St. Olav's Hospital in the town of Trondheim, which is central Norway's most advanced medical facility. Others were taken to local hospitals in the region.
"Many have also been traumatised by the experience and need care when they arrive on shore," the Norwegian Red Cross said in a statement.
Images and film posted by passengers on social media showed furniture sliding around as the vessel drifted in waves of up to eight metres, and passengers earlier described the ordeal.
"We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos. The trip on the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun," American passenger John Curry told public broadcaster NRK on Saturday.
Another passenger, Beth Clark, described to Dagbladet being airlifted from the vessel.
"The guy came down from the helicopter [one of the Coast Guards] snapped my belt and said 'hold it' and shot me up about 100 feet in the air and onto the helicopter," she said.
"I was more terrified of hitting the blades. I didn't look down, so that was my big fear. Everyone had their different fears, that was mine. But they were awesome, I mean as soon as they hoisted you up, he grabbed me and pulled me in like a sack of potatoes."
The stretch of water known as Hustadvika and surrounding areas are known for fierce weather and shallow waters dotted with reefs.
"Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew," Viking Ocean Cruises said in a statement, also thanking Norwegian emergency services and local residents for their support.
Newshub/Reuters
