Madrid , Spain ( CNN ) -- An investigation was under way aboard a cruise ship in Barcelona 's port on Friday after 26-foot waves crashed into a cruise ship and killed two people off northeast Spain , officials said . `` We are extending all cooperation to all relevant authorities . The captain has been cooperating and is aboard the ship , '' said Michael Maratheftis , spokesman for the Greece-based Louis Cruise Lines . Its vessel the Louis Majesty suffered the casualties and damage on Wednesday . Two male passengers -- a German and an Italian -- were killed and 14 other people were injured . Maltese government officials arrived in Spain on Thursday to lead the investigation , because the Greece-based vessel flies a Maltese flag , a Spanish government spokeswoman said . `` It 's a weather investigation , '' Maratheftis said , adding that the crew 's actions after the three `` abnormal '' waves struck the ship were crucial in preventing further casualties or damage . The waves smashed five windows on deck five in public areas -- on the forward part , or bow , of the 14-deck ship . Two male passengers -- a German and an Italian -- were killed , Maratheftis said . Were you on the ship ? Share your story with iReport . `` It was a shock . It was unexpected , '' Vito Sgobba , the cruise ship 's hotel manager , told CNN in a phone interview from Barcelona . The first wave , Sgobba said , pushed down the ship 's bow , and the second wave soon after struck the front of deck five . Sgobba was on an upper deck and quickly rushed to the scene with other crew members , who evacuated the injured to the ship 's hospital . Several doctors and nurses traveling aboard as passengers also helped , he said . The two deceased apparently died at the scene , and did not make it to the ship 's hospital , Sgobba said . The victims were a German man , 69 , from North Rhine Westphalia , and an Italian man , 52 , who was traveling with his family , their respective governments told CNN . Fourteen others were treated aboard the ship for light injuries , but were hospitalized as a precaution when the ship returned to Barcelona on Wednesday night , Maratheftis said . By Friday , only two of the injured remained hospitalized , and they were to be released over the weekend , Maratheftis said . The ship 's owners on Thursday repatriated most of the 1,350 passengers from 27 nations -- including Americans , Dutch , Germans and Italians -- aboard flights from Barcelona . Only 200 passengers remained in Barcelona early Friday , for their convenience , Maratheftis said . Dutch passenger Tom Berg told CNN that he had been in the hardest-hit area of the ship just five minutes before the waves struck . `` All people crying from that side , because there was a lot of water . We felt the wind going through the boat . After a few minutes , the cry ... calling for a doctor and we realize it was more serious than we expected , '' Berg said at the Barcelona airport , while awaiting a flight . Another Dutch passenger , Elly Maat , said she was on deck six , one level above the worst damage . The second wave broke the ship 's windows , and some passengers donned life vests , she said . `` A lot of people were very angry and children were crying , '' Maat said at the airport . The 580 crew members remain with the ship , which is under repair . The next scheduled cruise has been canceled , but plans are for the ship to sail from Barcelona to Genoa on March 10 , and to resume its normal cruise operations from there on March 12 , Maratheftis said . CNN 's Al Goodman , Stephanie Halasz , Ben Brumfield and Chad Myers contributed to this report .
Cruise ship was hit by three `` abnormal '' waves , each 8 meters ( about 26 feet ) high . German government officials begin investigation . Maltese , Italian passengers killed when waves smashed windows . Fourteen other people injured in the incident which occurred off CNN .