Amorella, a ferry operated by Viking Line, has run aground in the Baltic Sea off Finland’s Åland Islands
The 169-m ferry, which operates between Turku and Stockholm, was carrying around 200 passengers and 80 crew members at the time, according to a statement from Viking Line.
With Covid-19 restrictions in place, the vessel was reportedly well below its full capacity of 2,480 passengers and 450 cars.
A brief, auto-translated statement posted on the Viking Line website said no injuries had been reported and that the situation was stable.
"Amorella, which operates on the Turku – Stockholm route, had a [grounding] in the Åland archipelago yesterday. Amorella is currently located at the Järsö archipelago in Föglö," the statement said. "The passengers were taken to Mariehamn ..."
"Divers examined the ship Sunday evening. The extent of the damage is currently being investigated. Some damage has been found on the bottom of the vessel but is being investigated further."
According to the ferry line, the goal is to move Amorella but they are evaluating the situation further before making a final decision on towing the vessel to the repair yard.
"The timetable for the work has not yet been determined, the investigation work is expected to take a few days. Viking Line will decide, [in conjunction with] the relevant authorities what measures are taken," the statement said.
After cancelling a voyage on 20 September, Viking Line said Amorella will be replaced by sister vessel Gabriella from 21 September, and that customers would be notified of the changes.
Finnish news outlets have reported that the ship’s mayday call included a crew member’s assessment that leaks "are in several compartments" on board the vessel and that, following an initial grounding, the ship was intentionally run aground near shore to stabilise the vessel.
Amorella had returned to service in July following the halt in passenger ship travel caused by Covid-19.
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