Cruise liner carrying over 3000 people crashes into container ship during storm

TUI cruise liner carrying over 3,000 people crashes into container ships during storm The gigantic cruise liner Mein Schiff 3, which weighs about 8,000 tonnes and was carrying 3,350 people, smashed into a container ship at the German port of Bremerhaven as it set off on a 20-day cruise Dramatic footage captured the moment a massive cruise ship smashed into container ships during a storm at a German port. The TUI cruise liner Mein Schiff 3 tore open a vessel’s hull as horrified passengers looked on while it was trying to leave Bremerhaven in northern Germany amid high winds. Passengers lined up along the edge of the ship to watch as tugboats fought to keep the 8,000 tonne ship from smashing into the massive container ship which was tied up alongside the dock. In video clips of the crash a loud impact can be heard as passengers shout in alarm and run away from the side of the vessel where they had been watching events unfold. Several lifeboats and at least one container vessel were also damaged, with the latter reportedly sustaining a 10-metre-long tear in its hull. “I think that’s the end of the trip,” a woman watching the shocking incident can be heard saying. Mein Schiff 3 was embarking on a 20-day cruise to the Canary Islands when it crashed about 10 minutes after it left the quay. Tugboats which had been escorting the massive vessel can be seen trying heroically to push it away from the container ship before it scrapes along the side of the cargo vessel, destroying lifeboats on the cruise liner and damaging the structure of the other ship - the latter reportedly also sustained a 10-metre-long tear in its hull. The liner returned to the Columbuskaje quay following the incident, where specialists began assessing the damage and checking whether it was safe to sail. A total of 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members were onboard at the time, but no injuries had been reported and passengers were initially allowed to remain on the ship. Captain Jan Schubert addressed guests in an announcement, saying: “Fortunately, according to the current information, nobody was injured. “At the same time, we have already identified initial damage to the ship, which is now being thoroughly examined by experts.” He reassured passengers that restaurants and bars remained open while the ship stayed alongside overnight, as reported by creatorzine.com. A TUI Cruises spokesperson told the Mirror: “ We can confirm that, as the Mein Schiff 3 was leaving Bremerhaven in the late afternoon of 25 October, a collision occurred with two container ships. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. We are therefore very relieved that, according to current information, no one has been injured." "Mein Schiff 3 is currently moored at the pier in Bremerhaven. Immediately following the incident, technical teams and experts began a thorough inspection of the ship. The damage identified requires urgent repair work to be carried out at a shipyard. "In light of this, we have decided to cancel the planned cruise to the Canary Islands. This decision has been extremely difficult for us to make. We know how much our guests were looking forward to this cruise and deeply regret the inconvenience this causes. At the same time, we are convinced that this is the only responsible decision to ensure our high safety standards are maintained. "Our focus is now on keeping our guests as well informed as possible, looking after them and supporting them with the next steps. We will proactively provide further information as soon as reliable findings are available."