COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – The Norwegian cruise ship Maud lost its ability to navigate due to a power failure late on Thursday during a storm in the North Sea as it was sailing from Norway to England, said the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
The 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, said a spokesperson from the centre, which is responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations.
The ship, which belongs to cruise company HX, a unit of Norway’s Hurtigruten Group, was sailing from Floroe in Norway to Tilbury in the UK.
Strong winds blasted windows on the bridge of the vessel, allowing water to enter which resulted in a power failure on the bridge.
The ship is currently being steered manually from the engine room but could not navigate.
“The situation is under control,” the spokesperson said, adding that authorities aimed to tow the vessel to a Danish port around 2230 GMT.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Chris Reese and Josie Kao)
