Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Shocking footage shows Pacific Sun cruise ship chaos

ALARMING footage has emerged showing passengers and furniture being thrown around inside of a cruise ship during a storm.

P&O’s Pacific Sun cruise liner was hit with huge waves about 650 kilometres off the coast of New Zealand in July 2008.



The Australian cruise liner violently rolled during the incident, injuring 42 of the 2403 passengers and crew onboard.

CCTV footage from inside the ship, made public by website Liveleaks today, shows passengers and crew being tossed around the room along with chairs, tables and various other items.

One woman is seen hitting her head on a pillar and collapsing.

Injuries sustained included broken ribs and limbs, a fractured pelvis and cuts.
Many of the worst injuries were caused when gambling machines crashed on top of people.

Holidaymaker Elizabeth Basher told of how she sustained a fractured knee during the incident.

"We were getting a pre-dinner drink at the bar, moved to a safe place to be on the carpet to get some traction, and suddenly it happened, and we were just thrown across towards a plate-glass window," she told the UK’s Telegraph.

Others recalled hearing screams and cries and said it was “like being in a disaster movie”.

The ship was returning from the islands of Vanuatu after an eight-night cruise.
It was turning into the storm when its side was hit with huge waves, causing it to violently roll, shortly after dark when many people were sitting down to dinner.

A second video taken below deck shows heavy equipment, including a forklift, being tossed around like toys and narrowly missing a crew member.

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