(CNN) Rescuers are scrambling to rescue about 1,300 passengers and crew from a cruise ship off Norway that suffered an engine failure, emergency officials said Saturday. The Viking Sky ship sent a distress signal Saturday due to "engine problems in bad weather," said Borghild Eldoen, a spokeswoman for the Joint Rescue Centre for Southern Norway. The vessel is in rough seas in the Hustadvika area on the western coast of Norway and rescuers are facing waves of about 6-8 meters (roughly 19-26 feet) high, she said. Helicopters airlifted passengers and crew members one by one Saturday and the process could continue overnight and through Sunday. "We can't say how long it would take," Eldoen said. Read More<doc-sep>Hundreds of passengers have spent an uneasy night being tossed about on a cruise ship stranded off the coast of Norway, waiting for their turn to be rescued from the stricken vessel. Key points: Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the cruise ship Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the cruise ship Waves were 6-8 metres high during the storm and one elderly couple was reportedly severely injured Waves were 6-8 metres high during the storm and one elderly couple was reportedly severely injured Several vessels and four helicopters took part in the rescue Norway's maritime rescue service said the Viking Sky, which had about 1,300 passengers and crew on board, sent out a mayday signal as it drifted toward land on Saturday. The rescue service said the crew were later able to restart one engine and the ship was at anchor about 2 kilometres off Norway's west coast. One by one, dozens of passengers were hoisted from the deck of the vessel by helicopter and flown to a village just north of the town of Molde. Hundreds of others remained on board throughout the night. Social media posts from passengers showed people attempting to catch some sleep where they could, many wearing life vests. Loading Australians onboard stranded ship So far more than 450 people have been rescued from the ship, according to a report from Norwegian news service NRK. Three of the ship's four engines are now operational, and rescue services have begun to attach lines to the ship from tugboats to begin towing it towards the port. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 33 seconds 33 s Passengers are being airlifted off the stricken cruise ship. Founder and chairman of Viking Cruises, Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen, said he hoped the vessel would arrive at the port of Molde on Norway's west coast by Sunday afternoon (local time). "They've had a bit of a shocking experience," Mr Hagen told Norwegian TV2 after meeting passengers who had been hoisted one by one from the ship's deck in stormy weather. "Most of our passengers are senior citizens … imagine what it's like to hang there on that wire. "It must be a terrible experience but they seem to have handled it very well." The helicopters are on standby in case the captain decides to restart the airlift, the rescue service said. The ship was carrying 915 passengers, including some Australians, according to the cruise company. Passengers are helped from a rescue helicopter in Norway after being rescued from the Viking Sky cruise ship. ( AP: Svein Ove Ekornesvag Some 20 injured passengers were taken to hospital, Viking Cruises, while others suffered minor cuts and bruises. One was taken to St. Olav's Hospital in the town of Trondheim, which is central Norway's most advanced medical facility. Others were taken to local hospitals in the region. "Many have also been traumatised by the experience and need care when they arrive on shore," the Norwegian Red Cross said in a statement. Norwegian TV said one 90-year-old-man and his 70-year-old wife on the ship were severely injured, but did not say how that happened. Passengers on board the Viking Sky wait to be evacuated off the coast of Norway. ( Supplied: Michal Stewart via AP Video and photos from people on the ship showed it heaving from side to side, with chairs and other furniture being thrown around. Passengers were suited up in orange life vests as the waves broke some of the ship's windows and cold water flowed over the floor. 'Chaos' as storm smashes windows Passengers described the moment when the ship's engines stopped, and the evacuation that followed. "We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos," American passenger John Curry said. Passengers were rescued from a helicopter and taken to Hustadvika, Norway. ( AP: Odd Roar Lange "The trip on the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun." A second vessel, a freighter with a crew of nine, was also being evacuated nearby after suffering engine failure, diverting helicopters and thus delaying the cruise ship airlift, the rescue centre added. Two purpose-built vessels operated by the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue had been forced to turn back due to the severe weather, the service said. Waves were 6-8 metres high, with wind blowing at 24 metres per second, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The storm was expected to last at least until midnight local time. Loading The stretch of water known as Hustadvika and surrounding areas are known for fierce weather and shallow waters dotted with reefs, and Norway is evaluating whether to build a giant ocean tunnel through a nearby mountain to improve safety. The Viking Sky, built in 2017, belongs to Viking Ocean Cruises, part of the Viking Cruises group founded by Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen. The ship was visiting the Norwegian towns and cities of Narvik, Alta, Tromso, Bodo and Stavanger before its scheduled arrival on Tuesday in the British port of Tilbury on the River Thames. ABC/wires<doc-sep>Stranded passenger that were rescued by helicopter from the cruise ship Viking Sky are pictured on March 23, 2019 on the west coast of Norway near Romsdal. - Emergency services said on March 23, 2019 they were airlifting 1,300 passengers off a cruise ship off the Norwegian coast. Rescue services had airlifted 397 people to safety from a luxury cruise liner with engine trouble off the coast of Norway by Sunday morning and were preparing to tow the vessel to a nearby port. The Viking Sky, with 1,373 passengers and crew on board, sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted towards land in the Norwegian Sea. The ship was carrying 915 passengers, of whom "a large number" were from the United States and Britain, according to the rescue services. Some 17 injured passengers had been taken to hospital, a local rescue coordinator told a news conference early on Sunday, while others suffered minor cuts and bruises. One was taken to St. Olav's Hospital in the town of Trondheim, which is central Norway's most advanced medical facility. Others were taken to local hospitals in the region. "Many have also been traumatised by the experience and need care when they arrive on shore," the Norwegian Red Cross said in a statement. The airlift had gone on through the night. The ship has been able to restart three of its four engines on Sunday morning but still needed assistance. "The evacuation continues at the request of the vessel ... they need tugboats to get to port," rescue service spokesman Per Fjeld said, adding that the plan was to bring the Viking Sky to the town of Molde. Rescue services have begun to attach lines to the ship from tugboats to begin towing it towards the port.<doc-sep>
An operation to airlift 1,300 passengers and crew from a cruise ship adrift off the coast of Norway is underway, Norwegian emergency services said on Saturday afternoon. The Viking Sky cruise ship sent an SOS message due to "engine problems in bad weather" in an area of water is known to be treacherous; several ships have sunk in the past. What we know so far The ship sent out a mayday signal after it suffered an engine failure and started drifting toward land. The ship later restarted one engine and was at anchor about 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from land in Hustadsvika Bay, between the western cities of Alesund and Trondheim. 139 people had been airlifted by 9:30 p.m. local time (2030 UTC), according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. Nine of those evacuated were injured, including three who are in a serious condition. The airlift was set to continue throughout the night, although another vessel has been sent to the area to try to tow the ship into port. A second vessel, a freighter with a crew of nine, also had to be evacuated nearby after also suffering engine failure. The Viking Sky cost $400 million (€353 million) to build Why is it taking so long? Several vessels and five helicopters were deployed to help in the rescue. However, passengers have to be hoisted out one by one. The passengers, mostly British and American tourists, are then taken being taken to a village just north of the town of Molde. Waves were 6-8 meters (19-26 feet) high and the wind was blowing at a speed of 38 knots, police told Norwegian newspaper VG. Rescued passengers 'terrified' Janet Jacob, who was evacuated by helicopter, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK: "I was afraid. I've never experienced anything so scary." During her airlift, the strong winds were "like a tornado" and she said she started to pray "for the safety of all aboard." "We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos. The trip on the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun," American passenger John Curry told NRK. Lengthy rescue operation Police chief Tor Andre Franck said: "It is dangerous to encounter engine problems in these waters which hide numerous reefs ... therefore we would prefer to have the passengers on land rather than on board the ship." Rescue service spokesman Einar Knudsen told the Reuters news agency that rescuing all passengers "will take a long time." New vessel: The ship was built in 2017 and belongs to Viking Ocean Cruises, part of the Viking Cruises group founded by Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen. According to the company website, its passenger capacity is 930. mm/amp (AFP, Reuters) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.