A huge wave has smashed into a Viking Ocean Cruises vessel off Argentina, killing one person and injuring four more.
The accident involving the 378-berth Viking Polaris (built 2022) happened on Wednesday off Ushuaia, 3,200 km (nearly 2,000 miles) south of Buenos Aires, and was reported by the company and the Argentinian court system on Thursday.
AFP reported that the wave broke several glass panels on the Antarctic cruise ship as it was sailing south of Cape Horn in the middle of a storm late in the evening.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm that a passenger passed away after the incident. We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest condolences,” a Viking source said from Norway.
Four other passengers were treated by the ship’s medical personnel but did not have life-threatening injuries.
The damage to the new ship was described as minor, but no further details were given.
The Viking Polaris returned to Ushuaia on Wednesday.
The vessel debuted in September after being delivered by Vard in Norway.
Probe ‘settled’
Argentina’s naval police said an investigation into the accident was “settled” in the federal court of the province of Tierra del Fuego, but gave no other information.
Viking said it is investigating what happened and is working with passengers and crew members to organise their return trips.
The Viking Polaris has other trips planned for the southern summer season.
The vessel has capacity for 256 crew.
Viking is controlled by chairman Torstein Hagen.
