DFA: All 163 Pinoy crew members on stranded Norway cruise ship are safe


All 163 Filipinos working aboard a stranded cruise ship in Norway are safe and accounted for, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.
"The Philippine Embassy in Oslo, which is in touch with Viking Cruises and the Norwegian Rescue Center, reported that the ship’s 163 Filipino crew members are all safe and are helping evacuate passengers. There are no Filipino passengers on board the cruise liner," the DFA said in a statement.
Authorities said that the cruise passengers have even "praised the efficiency and helpfulness of the ship’s Filipino crew in the evacuation."
The DFA added that it is closely monitoring the ongoing rescue operations.
Three of the four engines of the stranded ship Viking Sky were working and tug boats are trying to tow it to the shore, according to authorities.
The vessel got stranded in rough waters after it encountered engine problems amid bad weather on Saturday.
Almost 500 out of the 1,373 passengers and crew on board had already been airlifted as of on Sunday morning. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News

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