An Australian couple have recounted the moment an explosion rocked their cruise ship, killing a crewman, in Port Chalmers.
The couple, who declined to be named, said they were on their balcony on Emerald Princess at the time, and saw a large object fly off the boat and on to the wharf, where it spun around and around.
“The cylinder flew out of the ship and hit the wharf. Gas was leaking from it and it was spinning.”
“We’re not sure exactly where it came from on the ship, because it all happened so quickly. We didn’t know what it was at first.”
“We heard the most almighty bang — a big explosion. We thought it was containers falling down.”
The couple said the ship would now be heading straight for Sydney, rather than passing through a scheduled highlight of the trip — Milford Sound.
“I don’t think anybody is the least bit worried about that. Nobody’s worried about that at all.
“Our thoughts and prayers are for the crew member’s family and the people he worked with.”
Passengers Geraint Compton and Karen Hooker, both of Adelaide, said there had been a significant change in the atmosphere on board since the accident.
“Everybody’s flattened and really quite upset by it.”
“Everyone is feeling for the man’s family, and the captain has asked us to keep him in our prayers.”
“You go to work and expect to come home alive. You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you. It’s terrible.”
The couple said there was quite an active nightlife on board, but the night following the accident, all was quiet.
“The restaurants were pretty empty last night. There was hardly anyone in them.”
“We had a number of sections cordoned off too, so you couldn’t go to them while the authorities were on board.”
Another couple, from Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, said most of the passengers appeared to be “quiet and keeping to themselves”.
“It’s affected everyone. It’s sad to know that someone on board has died. It was weird for us because we didn’t even hear it [the explosion].”
“We were just in our room and we heard them call the medical team to them.”
“We just thought someone had fallen over or something, and then a few minutes later the captain came over the speaker, announcing what had happened.”
“So it was kind of a shock to us — to everyone really — because a lot of people were off the ship at the time and he had to announce it again later once everyone was back on board.”
Disclaimer: This video is intended for informational purpose only. This may not be construed as a news item or advice of any sort. Please consult the experts in that field for the authenticity of the presentations.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Otago Daily Times
