Jaw-dropping footage shows out-of-control furniture tear across rooms and the ceiling cave in on board a cruise ship pounded by brutal waves and monster gales.
Some 1,300 tourists are being freed from the stranded Viking Sky, a Viking Ocean Cruises vessel, off the coast of Hustadvika, west Norway, tonight.
It's believed some Brits are onboard.
It suffered engine failure in the stormy conditions and helicopters were scrambled to take the tourists, one by one, to safety.
But emergency services can only take 15 people per flight, it's claimed, so the mission is expected to last several hours into tonight.
In one dramatic clip posted online, Viking Sky rocks side to side as chairs and tables slide across a room packed with terrified tourists.
Were you onboard the Viking Sky? Contact webnews@trinitymirror.com
The passengers take cover as part of the ceiling crashes down and debris is sent flying across the lounge.
Other harrowing footage shows water soak panicked passengers as they're rescued from the boat.
And photos taken inside show the horrific damage the pounding nine-metre waves have caused.
Furniture has said to have smashed into pieces.
A glass door appears to have been destroyed in one picture.
In others, terrified tourists sit with life jackets waiting for their turn to be hoisted free.
And at least eight people are being treated in hospital for minor injuries, sources say.
By around 6.00pm GMT, it is believed 100 passengers were safely taken off the ship.
A clip on social media shows the boat stuck in the Norwegian Sea as the helicopters hover above.
Huge waves roar around the cruise ship during the operation.
Cruise couple relive moment they missed boat with their money and passports on board
How couples could bag huge savings on cruise holidays including the Cook Islands
"We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos. The trip on
the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun," John Curry, an American passenger, said.
The choppers have taken passengers to a remote village where a school is being used as a place of refuge.
The maritime rescue service said the ship initially sent out a mayday signal, after it began started heading dangerously to rocky headlands.
Earlier footage shared on Twitter shows huge waves crash onto rocks in the Norwegian Sea.
The large cruise ship can be seen come to a halt in the background as the winds batter the coastline.
Local media reports the wind speeds have reached around 38 knots (40 mph approx) today.
The ship belongs to Viking Ocean Cruises, part of the Viking Cruises group founded by Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen.
Since the initial difficulty, the ships has restored one engine and is no longer adrift.
But a source said: "If we need to evacuate everyone, it will take a long time."
The Viking Sky was built in 2017.
Disney entertainer 'gave herself abortion on cruise ship then hid living baby'
A Viking spokesman said: "We can confirm that at on 23 March 2019 at 2pm (Norwegian time) the vessel Viking Sky, a 47,800 tonne ship travelling from Tromsø to Stavanger carrying 915 guests and 458 crew, experienced a loss of engine power off the coast of Norway near Molde.
"We are working closely with the relevant authorities and all operational procedures were followed in line with international regulations. In addition Viking has dispatched an operational task force, including the company’s owner, to Molde.
"Our first priority was for the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and our crew, and in close cooperation with the Norwegian Coast Guard, the captain decided to evacuate all guests from the vessel by helicopter. The ship is proceeding on its own power and a tugboat is on site. The evacuation is proceeding with all necessary caution.
"A small number of non-life threatening injuries have been reported. Guests are being accommodated in local hotels when they arrive back on shore, and Viking will arrange for return flights for all guests."
It follows the dramatic moment two cruise ships collided outside a busy port .
The MSC Orchestra, a 92,000-tonne ship, smashed into MSC Poesia as it tried to leave Buenos Aires, Argentina.
One onlooker can be heard shouting "No, no, no" in shocking footage which captured the prang in February.
Somehow no one suffered serious injuries.
