Saudi observers say Shawwal crescent may be visible on Saturday    Tourism Ministry enforces closure orders, warns violators of penalties    King Salman, Crown Prince extend condolences to Thailand's king over earthquake victims    Elon Musk's xAI acquires X in all-stock deal    Makkah and Madinah mobile data usage exceeds global average during Ramadan: CST    US, Japan mark 80th anniversary of Iwo Jima battle with memorial service    Trump signals openness to auto tariff deal    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Trump renews push to acquire Greenland    Myanmar earthquake death toll climbs to 144    Over 2.5 million attend Khatm Al-Qur'an prayers in Makkah    World's largest barbershop opens at Clock Towers Center in Makkah to serve pilgrims    Saudi non-oil exports jump 10.7% in January    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Disney's Snow White film tops box office despite bad reviews    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Cruise ship crashes during Mallorca storms
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 28 - 08 - 2023

A cruise ship broke free from moorings and collided with a freight vessel during a storm in Mallorca, Spain.
Passengers on Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, described how after it broke loose the ship "floated away like a paper boat". A walkway also fell into the sea.
A small number of people are being cared for onboard after sustaining minor injuries, P&O said.
It said the ship will stay in Palma to allow for a technical assessment.
The captain earlier told passengers there was "no structural compromise".
People aboard the ship recorded videos and images of the incident, showing an emergency response and debris floating in the sea.
Passenger Gavin McCoy said the "unexpected drama" happened while "the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill".
He said that at about 11:00 BST "a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea".
He said he was "sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air," McCoy added.
"We've drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship."
Another passenger, Dale Hopkin said it was "madness" on board as sunbeds "were starting to flip".
Hopkin, from Blackpool, said the rain was so heavy he could not see out of the ship's windows.
He added that after the vessel broke free from its moorings "it floated away like a paper boat. The staff couldn't do anything more".
His wife, Tracey Hopkin, described it all as "a bit of drama" and said the ship came close to the breakwater rocks in the harbor.
She said she heard "a really loud noise, a grating sound" and "couldn't believe what I was seeing".
She praised the actions of the staff and said there were regular updates from the ship's captain.
Another holidaymaker, Tilley Eve, said for around two hours "things were really bad", adding: "I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz."
She said some families had put life jackets on their children.
The storm is likely to be one of the severe thunderstorms, affecting the Balearic Islands.
Torrential outbreaks of rain and gusts of up to 120km (75 miles) per hour have hit the islands. The conditions led to the cancellation of over 20 flights, Spain's airport operator said.
Weather warnings for parts of the archipelago have been extended until Monday.
The captain informed passengers that "there's no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage" on the PA system.
P&O Cruises spokesperson said they were "aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning" and were "working to assess the situation".
Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was "no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship".
"The many people on coach excursions will be able to get back on again," he added.
Passengers will have access to onboard entertainment and activities while technical teams make an assessment of the ship, P&O said.
The cruise started in Southampton and is due back on 1 September.
This is the second time an emergency has happened on a Southampton ship due to bad weather in recent weeks, with the Queen Mary 2 breaking free from its bow mooring line and drifting off the quay on 4 August. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.