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Ships freed from Baltic Sea ice Ships freed from Baltic Sea ice
(about 4 hours later)
Four ships have broken free after being stuck in the ice in the Baltic Sea, but around 50 remain stuck, officials say. Dozens of ships that had been trapped in ice in the Baltic Sea off Stockholm, some for several days, have been freed, Swedish maritime authorities have said.
Some ships are stranded in the waters between Stockholm and the Aaland Islands, while others are stuck in the Bay of Bothnia to the north. A spokesman told the BBC that the last vessel was rescued from the waters between the capital and the Aaland Islands early on Friday morning.
Many of the vessels are not likely to be freed for hours, the Swedish maritime authorities say. At least 26 ships are awaiting help further north in the Bay of Bothnia.
They say no-one is hurt and there are currently no evacuation plans. However, the level of alert has been increased. On Thursday, icebreakers had to be used to free the ferry Amorella, which had 943 passengers and crew on board.
Rescuers are now on standby, Peter Lindquist from the Swedish maritime authorities told the BBC. Two other ferries, the Isabella and the Finnfellow, managed to break free on Thursday, the Swedish Maritime Administration said.
Amorella, a passenger ferry with nearly 1,000 people on board, broke free from the ice early on Friday, the Associated Press reports. Both Sweden and Finland deployed icebreakers in the area to help the stranded vessels.
Two other ferries, the Isabella and the Finnfellow managed to break free on Thursday. "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 maritime administration, told Radio Sweden on Thursday.
Both Sweden and Finland have deployed ice breakers in the area to help the stranded vessels. "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 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 earlier. There was a minor collision between the Finnfellow and the Amorella when they tried to manoeuvre in the ice on Thursday, but there was no major damage reported.
"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.
There was a minor collision between two of the ferries when they tried to manoeuvre in packs of ice.
Mats Nystrom, a passenger on the Amorella, said that was the most dramatic moment.Mats Nystrom, a passenger on the Amorella, said that was the most dramatic moment.
"Suddenly in the loudspeakers there's a voice saying that all passengers must immediately move to the stern. Of course at that moment the passengers got worried and wondered what was happening," Mr Nystrom told Sweden's SVT broadcaster."Suddenly in the loudspeakers there's a voice saying that all passengers must immediately move to the stern. Of course at that moment the passengers got worried and wondered what was happening," Mr Nystrom told Sweden's SVT broadcaster.
He added that there had been no panic on the vessel. It is reportedly the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years and the maritime administration said the ships had ignored warning about the ice.
It is reportedly the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years. However, the weather conditions were expected to improve on Friday.
However, Mr Lindquist said weather conditions were expected to improve on Friday.
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