The dramatic moment lived by the passengers of a cruise

Several helicopters evicted over 475 pbadengers from a cruise ship that had detached from the west coast of Norway.

The Viking Sky carried 1,373 pbadengers and crew members when it had problems in an unpredictable region of the Norwegian coast known for its icy waters and rough seas. The crew issued a distress signal Saturday afternoon.

Rescue was carried out under difficult conditions, including wind gusts of up to 70 km / h and waves of more than 8 meters (26 feet). Several photos and videos posted on the social networks show that the ship was tipping while the furniture crashed violently against the walls.

"We are aware that 20 people were injured as a result of this incident and are receiving care at the relevant medical centers in Norway, and some have already been released," said Viking Ocean Cruises, the company owning the ship.

In a statement, the company said that before the departure of the ship for the port of Molde, nearly a day after its breakdown, helicopters had transported 479 pbadengers on the mainland, leaving another 436 pbadengers on board and 458 crew members. .