1,300+ people in distress as crippled cruise liner is battered by huge waves off Norway (VIDEOS)

At least 10 people have been injured during an ongoing, high-risk evacuation of the Viking Sky cruise liner, which had engine problems and was forced to anchor in Norway's Hustadvika Bay with 1,300+ passengers and crew on board.

After suffering an engine failure, the Viking Sky sent out a mayday call on Saturday afternoon, requesting emergency assistance as it began to drift towards the rocky western coast of Norway. In full emergency mode on the high seas, the crew managed to restart one of the vessel’s four engines before anchoring in the Hustadsvika Bay to allow helicopters and vessels to move in to help evacuate some of the 1,373 passengers and crew.

As high waves tossed the ship from side to side, first responders were airlifting passengers one by one. Video of the emergency, released by the authorities, showed the rescuers trying to reach the vessel under extremely difficult weather conditions.

Only some 166 people had been rescued by Saturday evening, most of them British and American. The operation to evacuate the rest of those in distress is expected to continue overnight, authorities said, noting that at least 10 people have been injured in the accident aboard the vessel, which was only commissioned in 2017 for the Viking Ocean Cruises.

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