A 300-meter cruise ship broke free from the dock and collided with a breakwater during a storm at the port of Le Havre, France, on Tuesday (8). The AIDAperla, operated by the German company AIDA Cruises, was carrying thousands of passengers on board, but no one was injured.
The accident occurred around 4 p.m., when wind gusts pushed the 125,000-ton vessel away from the dock and snapped its mooring lines. Videos posted on social media show the ship drifting through the port before its stern hit a concrete structure.
According to German outlets such as BILD, TAG24, and Ostsee-Zeitung, about 500 passengers remained on buses while crews worked to bring the vessel under control. Two boarding gangways were lost or left hanging on the side of the ship.
Several tugboats were deployed and, around 6:30 p.m., the AIDAperla was docked again. Local media reported a small tear in the hull and the ship was held for inspection.
