Finnish RoPax runs aground

Finnish Border Guard tweeted this image of grounded ship

Viking Line’s 1988-built RoPax Amorella, which operates on the Turku, Finland, to Stockholm, Sweden route, grounded at Järsö, in the Åland archipelago at 12.50 pm, Finnish time, yesterday with 200 passengers and 80 crew members on board.

A Mayday call from the ship referenced “a leakage in several compartments.”

By 5.50 pm, all passengers had been safely transported to the mainland of Åland.

In a release issued at 10.10 am, Finnish time, this morning Viking Line said divers had examined the ship Sunday evening and that the extent of the damage is currently being investigated.

“Some damage has been found at the bottom but is being investigated further,” said Viking Line, “The goal is to transport Amorella to the shipyard. Before that, it is evaluated whether the vessel can be towed to the yard. The work schedule has not yet been confirmed, the investigation is expected to take a few days.”

• UPDATE: At 10.30 a.m., Tuesday, Viking Lines said “today the preparatory work is taking place with the aim of being able to move the ship from Järsö to the port of Långnäs (Åland) on 23.09.2020. Amorella will then be repaired at the repair yard in Naantali (Finland). The exact timetable has not yet been determined. Viking Line will decide with the relevant authorities what measures will be taken.”