MS Silja Europa

MS Silja Europa developed rudder failure on Sunday, leaving the largest passenger ship in the Baltic Sea waiting for a tug off the Åland Islands until Monday morning with about 1,400 passengers and some 300 crew onboard.

The Finnish Coast Guard said the passengers were not in danger, with the ferry's thrusters providing some manoeuvrability.

Luulea Lääne, a spokeswoman at Estonian shipowner Tallink, said Monday that the passengers would remain onboard during the tugging back to Turku.

Tallink had said Sunday evening that the ship would arrive in Turku Monday afternoon.

MS Silja Europa had been scheduled to arrive in Turku at 7pm Sunday.

The Coast Guard said there had been no danger of the vessel running aground.

MS Silja Europa, delivered in 1993, ran aground in 1995. No one was injured in the incident.

STT
Lehtikuva - Tor Wennström