A 300-metre cruise ship bound for Britain crashed into a sea wall during bad weather in a collision caught on camera at a French port.
Footage shows the German-operated AIDAperla, which can carry more than 3,000 passengers, drifting backwards towards land after strong winds blew it from its mooring in the port of Le Havre.
Despite frantic efforts to slow and propel the massive 125,000-ton ship forward, the ship subsequently crashed into the wall.
BILD and German outlet TAG24 reported that thousands of passengers were on board the ship at the time.
No passengers were injured, but those on shore were unable to board the ship.
About 500 guests remained in their buses waiting for the ship to be recovered.
The ship was due to make its next stop in Southampton but is currently held in port while inspections are carried out to determine the extent of the damage.
The ship operated a seven-day circuit from Hamburg, with stops in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton.
It was docked in Le Havre on Tuesday morning, September 8, with passengers bound for various voyages to Paris and other destinations.
French authorities had warned of high winds as a weather front passed through the area. According to local reports, the port experienced wind gusts of up to 100 km/h.
Around 4 p.m. local time, the 300-meter cruise ship was pushed off the pier and its mooring lines broke.
A 300-meter cruise ship bound for Britain crashed into a sea wall in a French port on Tuesday
Footage showed the ship, which was carrying thousands of passengers, drifting through the harbor after strong winds blew it from its mooring in the port of Le Havre.
It then crashes into the wall and sends waves across the water
According to reports, two gangways, which were used to board the ship, were lost or left hanging on the side of the ship as it drifted through the harbour.
Several tugboats rushed to bring the ship under control and by 6:30 p.m. it was tied to the dock.
Videos posted online by passengers aboard a separate ship, which was also in Le Havre, show the detached ship drifting backwards before its stern made contact with a concrete wall.
Local media reported a small cut in the torso.
The massive ship has a double occupancy of more than 3,300 passengers and a maximum capacity of 4,333 passengers, although it was unclear exactly how many were on board the current cruise.
According to German media outlet Ostsee-Zeitung, passengers were told that port calls in Zeebrugge and Rotterdam had been cancelled.
The ship remained in Le Havre as of Wednesday evening.
Passengers have reportedly been told they can remain on land in France until Thursday afternoon.
The ship is expected to set sail again on Thursday evening and then sail directly to Hamburg.
