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Vessels stuck in Baltic Sea ice Vessels stuck in Baltic Sea ice
(20 minutes later)
A number of ships, including ferries with thousands of passengers on board, have become stuck in ice in the Baltic Sea, officials say.A number of ships, including ferries with thousands of passengers on board, have become stuck in ice in the Baltic Sea, officials say.
The vessels are grounded in the waters between Stockholm and the Alan Islands, Radio Sweden reports. The vessels are grounded in the waters between Stockholm and the Aland Islands, Radio Sweden reports.
Many of the vessels are not likely to be freed for hours, Swedish maritime authorities were quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.Many of the vessels are not likely to be freed for hours, Swedish maritime authorities were quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
It is reportedly the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years.It is reportedly the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years.
"The ice wouldn't usually be a problem for the merchant ships, the problem now is that it's very windy, about 20 metres per second," Jonas Lindvall, controller of the ice breaking unit at the Swedish maritime authorities, told Radio Sweden."The ice wouldn't usually be a problem for the merchant ships, the problem now is that it's very windy, about 20 metres per second," Jonas Lindvall, controller of the ice breaking unit at the Swedish maritime authorities, told Radio Sweden.
"That means that the ice is moving rapidly, there are lots of ridges with ice that's making it problematic for the ships, so they need help from the ice breakers," the controller said."That means that the ice is moving rapidly, there are lots of ridges with ice that's making it problematic for the ships, so they need help from the ice breakers," the controller said.
Four Viking Line ferries - which regularly shuttle thousands of passengers between Finland and Sweden - are among the vessels stuck.
Unconfirmed reports say the ferries collided with each other when they tried to manoeuvre in packs of ice.


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Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here.Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here.
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