A 135-Meter Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Front of a Norwegian Home
Police Investigate Cause of Accident... No Injuries Reported
An accident occurred in which a large cargo ship, measuring 135 meters in length, became stranded in front of a Norwegian household.
According to The Guardian on May 22 (local time), the incident took place at around 5 a.m. that day in the Byneset area near Trondheim, Norway. The cargo ship involved, NCL Saltenho, was traveling at a speed of 16 knots (approximately 30 km/h) from Trondheim toward the western city of Orkanger along the fjord when it ran aground in the garden of Johan Helberg, whose house is located in a coastal village.
A neighbor witnessed the ship heading straight for Helberg's garden, narrowly missing his house. Alarmed, the neighbor rang Helberg's doorbell and woke him up.
"It was so surreal," Helberg told The Guardian in an interview. "I went to the window and was shocked to see a huge ship in my garden," he said, adding, "I had to crane my neck to see the top of the ship." He explained, "Normally, ships turn left or right when they enter the fjord, but this one came straight (toward the house). It was very close to the house." Helberg is reported to have lived in this house for 25 years.
There were 16 crew members on board the ship, including Norwegians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Russians. No injuries or oil spills were reported. Police, who are currently investigating the incident, have identified one suspect among those on board. The police are questioning the crew and are investigating various possible causes of the accident, including technical malfunctions and human error.
North Sea Container Line (NCL), the shipping company that owns the vessel, stated that one crew member has been identified as a suspect, but emphasized that this is a standard police procedure. NCL CEO Bente Hetteland said, "There is no reason to believe that this accident was intentional," and added, "Such accidents should never happen." She continued, "It is fortunate that no one was injured," and stressed, "For now, we need to focus on the residents near the ship and the crew members."
The vessel remained stranded after the first attempt to refloat it on the day of the accident failed. Officials plan to attempt refloating the ship again at high tide.
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