AIDAperla cruise ship strikes quay wall in Le Havre

The German-managed cruise ship AIDAperla, a 125,000-ton vessel, struck a quay wall in the French port of Le Havre during severe weather. Strong wind gusts, reported to reach up to 68 mph, caused the ship to break free from its moorings.

While the exact number of passengers on board at the time of the collision is unconfirmed, German media reports suggest there were thousands of passengers. No injuries were reported among the passengers. However, some passengers who had already disembarked for excursions were unable to reboard the ship, and approximately 500 passengers remained on buses while waiting for the vessel to be stabilized. The ship was on a seven-day itinerary from Hamburg with scheduled stops in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, and Southampton.