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A Norwegian cruise ship that set sail on a nine-night trip smashed into an iceberg, as is evident from a video shared by passengers on-board.
“Titanic 2.0" shouts the passenger when the large cruise ship hits the iceberg bringing back memories of the RMS Titanic ship that sunk in 1912 after it struck an iceberg near Newfoundland, Canada.
CNN reported that the Norwegian cruise ship was transitioning to Hubbard Glacier in Alaska when it suddenly plowed into the “growler" iceberg on Saturday.
Watch the video here
In the video that was shared on Twitter one can see a gargantuan translucent grey ice muddling above the water as the side of the ship nudges it and moves on.
The terrified passengers can be heard panicking as the ship collides with the iceberg in the middle of the ocean, near Alaska.
The iceberg has been categorised as a ‘growler’ which is defined to be less than two meters across and has less than one meter showing above the water.
CNN further informed that the Norwegian cruise company has cancelled the remaining of the trip and the ship has returned to the port of Juneau for a safety assessment.
On inspection of the right front side of the ship by the Coast Guard Sector Juneau Prevention Team and contracted divers, it has been determined that the ship is undamaged and can go back to Seattle, its home port for further repair.
The Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) said that the ship was given clearance by the United States Coast Guard and other local maritime authorities to return to Seatle at a reduced speed. “All guests currently onboard will disembark in Seatle as originally planned," it added.
No passengers were reported as injured during the collision, in which several bits of port infrastructure was damaged along with “cosmetic" damage caused to the vessel.
The Titanic was a ship that set out on its maiden journey in 1912 , was considered unsinkable owing to its advanced and state-of-the-art machinery available at that point of time. It was then the largest and most luxurious ship in the world. The ship sunk after it hit an iceberg. The collision damaged the ship and its watertight compartments. With a limited number of lifeboats, many passengers could not escape the ship. Only hours after the collision, the Titanic sunk, taking about 1,500 passengers with her.
Years later, James Cameron, directed a movie ‘Titanic’, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio in the lead. The 1997 movie was based on the tragic incident that took place in 1912.
