A Norwegian man had a startling wake-up call on Thursday morning when he discovered a cargo ship had run aground just meters from his home on the coast of the Trondheim Fjord.
Johan Helberg told national broadcaster NRK that he had slept through the entire incident and only became aware of the near-disaster when a neighbor rang his doorbell to alert him. When he stepped outside, he was met with the sight of the massive NCL Salten cargo vessel, its red and green bow looming just a few meters from his house.
Images from the scene show the ship precariously positioned near Helberg’s residence, with only minor property damage reported — a heating pump wire was severed in the incident.
Norwegian authorities confirmed they received reports of the grounding shortly before 6 a.m. on Thursday. Fortunately, no injuries or environmental hazards, such as oil spills, were reported.
Attempts to refloat the vessel during high tide later that day were unsuccessful.
Shipping company NCL confirmed awareness of the incident and stated it was cooperating with authorities. Norwegian police, according to NCL, have identified a suspect in relation to the incident, although no further details have been made public. A police spokesperson was not available for comment at the time of this report.
The grounding raises fresh concerns over maritime safety in the fjords, where residential areas often lie close to busy shipping routes. Investigations into the cause of the grounding are ongoing.
