A powerful storm behind a high-impact collision between a P&O cruise ship and a freight vessel also wrecked part of a nice hotel in Mallorca, Spain.
The strong winds sent beach chairs flying into the sea and pool, as tourists from Britain caught the dramatic scenes on video. The storm might have also made another ship crash into a boat, hurting some people.
People on the big cruise ship said it was really scary. They were pushed by small boats to the shore while stuck in their rooms. The ship’s horn blew when the storm suddenly hit, and it broke free from where it was tied up.
In a video shared by Wendy and Alan Penson from Wales, a hotel on the island is visibly in a mess. Beach chairs are thrown around by the wind, and many end up in the pool.
Wendy said: “It said to expect thunderstorms on the news but we saw the weather change and Alan said ‘start filming’, and we couldn’t believe how quickly it changed. It was just like a hurricane coming through from the sea into the cove. There is a small yacht opposite us and it ripped the sail off that. The Bali beds aren’t light, they’re made of steel, but the storm just took them like they were nothing.
“I was speaking with someone who works at the hotel and she said when the temperature starts to drop after a period of no rain, this tends to happen. But she said they’ve never known it like this before.”
Alan added: “The unexpected storm happened at about 10:49 am Spanish time. It all happened very quickly, as seen in the video.”
The cruise ship passengers were left in tears after the collision, with tables and chairs tossed around the decks. The ship will remain in Palma for a technical evaluation. The collision occurred amidst heavy rain, hail, and powerful 55 MPH winds. The substantial £473million ship is presently anchored less than a mile from the shore following the mishap.
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca. We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated.”
