One person was killed and four others injured after a “rogue wave” hit a cruise ship south of Cape Horn, Norwegian company Viking announced Thursday.
The accident occurred at 10:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday when the vessel Viking Polaris was hit by a “rogue wave,” the company said in a statement.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of a passenger as a result of this incident. We have informed his family and express our deepest condolences,” a source at Viking in Norway said, without specifying whether the victim was male or female or her age.
Four passengers “suffered non-life-threatening injuries” and were “treated by a doctor and ship’s medical staff,” the company said.
“The vessel suffered minor damage during the incident and arrived at the port of Ushuaia without incident on Wednesday afternoon local time,” he said.
AFP
An AFP reporter at the scene noted that several of the ship’s portholes were broken.
Argentina’s maritime province did not provide any information on the incident when questioned by AFP.
A judicial source on his part indicated that the investigation was initiated by the federal court in the capital of Tierra del Fuego state.
“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and we will offer our support to the competent authorities,” the Norwegian company promised, adding that it was involved in arranging the repatriation of the passengers.
“Viking Polaris” is launched in 2022 and is new from the Norwegian company. According to the Viking site, it carries 378 passengers with 256 crew members.
In mid-November, two American tourists, ages 76 and 80, were killed aboard the “World Explorer” during a trip to Antarctica when the semi-rigid vessel they were traveling in capsized.
