NCL Salten Container Ship Grounds in Norway: A Close Call with a Residential Home
The 135-meter container ship NCL Salten ran aground in Byneset, near Trondheim, Norway, narrowly missing a residential house, according to The Guardian. The incident occurred on Thursday around 5 a. m.
Witnesses reported that the vessel, traveling at a speed of about 30 km/h, headed straight for the shore and crashed into the garden of Johan Helberg, nearly hitting his home. Helberg, who has lived in the house for 25 years, only noticed the ship in his backyard after being awakened by a call from a neighbor.
Source: Joanne Fielder
“I went to the window and was quite surprised to see a large ship,” Helberg told The Guardian. “I had to tilt my head back to see its upper part. It was so unreal.”
On board the ship, registered in Cyprus, there were 16 crew members, including Norwegians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Russians. There have been no reports of injuries or oil spills.
Source: Jan Langhaug / EPA
Currently, the police have interviewed the crew and are exploring several theories regarding the incident, including technical failure and human error. The first attempt to refloat the container ship was unsuccessful.
The NCL Salten, with a capacity of 886 TEU, was built in 2002. According to the publication Fontanka, the vessel was partially loaded and had departed from the port of Averøy, Norway, on May 21.
