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Norwegian Cruise Line ship runs aground on reef in Bermuda Norwegian Cruise Line ship runs aground on reef in Bermuda
(about 3 hours later)
A Norwegian Cruise Line ship ran aground on a reef on Tuesday after leaving Bermuda but there were no reports of any injuries, US media outlets said. Thousands of passengers will spend Tuesday night stuck aboard a Norwegian cruise ship after it ran aground as it tried to depart Bermuda, officials and passengers said.
The Norwegian Dawn was embarking on the 775-mile return journey to Boston with 2,675 passengers and more than 1,000 crew on board. Small boats, divers and tug boats circled the Norwegian Dawn ship as officials tried to figure out how to solve the situation, according to officials.
In a statement, Norwegian Cruise Line said all guests and crew were safe. An official with Bermuda’s Rescue Coordination Center, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press the ship hit the reef near Bermuda’s North Channel.
The company said the ship had been leaving King’s Wharf, Bermuda, when it temporarily lost power. The official, who was not authorised to talk to the media, said there are 2,675 passengers and 1,062 crew members aboard the ship, adding that it is in a stable position.
Cruise ship passenger Rachel Hansen, from Londonderry, New Hampshire, spoke to the AP by phone and said the captain told everyone that the ship would not move until Wednesday morning. She said the ship was about three miles from Bermuda when it ran aground.
“We definitely felt it,” she said. “We were in the middle of eating dinner ... There was a shudder for maybe 30 seconds to a minute and then there was a sudden stop.”
Hansen said she and her family gathered essential belongings and joined other people who went to the top of the ship to see what had happened.
“We had crew members running around in a panic, and we felt like we had to panic,” she said, adding that overall, the majority of crew members reacted calmly and quickly.
As the hours went by, she said passengers settled into their evening routine and the ship still held entertainment shows as planned.
Norwegian Cruise Line said in a brief statement that the ship temporarily lost power and its propulsion was affected. Officials said everyone aboard is safe and that the ship has full power.
“The ship’s propulsion was affected and, at which time, the vessel made contact with the channel bed,” the statement said.“The ship’s propulsion was affected and, at which time, the vessel made contact with the channel bed,” the statement said.
“The ship has full power and on-board services continue as scheduled. The ship’s team is currently assessing the situation and we will provide more information as it becomes available.”“The ship has full power and on-board services continue as scheduled. The ship’s team is currently assessing the situation and we will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Photographs posted on Twitter by people on board showed passengers peering over the rail at what looks like coral below in the bright blue sea, as well as a small boat apparently launched to check for damage, and a tugboat approaching. The U.S. Coast Guard declined comment and referred calls to authorities in Bermuda.
“Ship shuddered, then stopped really fast,” wrote one Twitter user, Rachel Hansen. “The captain said we won’t be moving for a while.” The Norwegian Dawn offers a seven-day, round-trip cruise to Bermuda, where it spends three days in port. It was on its way to Boston when the accident happened.