An oil tanker and a Norwegian navy KNM Helge Ingstad frigate collided near the coast of western Norway on Thursday, triggering the shutdown of a major nearby export terminal for the North Sea.
According to Tu.no, seven people were lightly injured in the collision in the Hjeltefjord near Bergen in the early hours of Thursday. The frigate has been listing dangerously.
The KNM Helge Ingstad frigate took on water and was at risk of sinking. Its crew of 137 had been evacuated, rescue leader Ben Vikoeren at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre for southern Norway said.
The KNM Helge Ingstad had recently taken part in NATO’s Trident Juncture military exercise, which centred on defense of Norway.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the collision, which reportedly occurred shortly after 04:00 (03:00 GMT), and led to 137 people being taken off the warship.
At the time of collision, it was still dark.
KNM Helge Ingstad (F313) is one of the Norwegian navy’s five frigates of the Fridtjof Nansen class. The warship was launched in November 2007. The 134 meter long vessel is 5,290 tons with full load. The ship is named after the famous Norwegian Arctic explorer, like the other four frigates in the Norwegian navy.
#Norway Frigate KNM Helge Ingstad involved in collision with oil tanker Sola TS at Sture https://t.co/kcrrZv1jCf pic.twitter.com/IqLPRcxmQ8
— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) 8 November 2018