A Venezuelan naval boat picked and lost a fight with a passenger cruise liner off the country's northern coast this week, ramming it several times before accidentally taking on water and sinking.
Columbia Cruise Services, the owner of the cruise liner, said the Venezuelan crew had fired shots and appeared to be trying to seize the civilian vessel, which was also an icebreaker. It described the move as an “act of aggression in international waters”.
The 122m RCGS Resolute is a luxury liner which sails under a Portuguese flag and is designed for voyages in Antarctica.
The cruise ship, which was carrying 32 crew and no passengers, was idling during maintenance on its way to the Dutch-owned island of Curacao.
Shortly after midnight, the ship was approached by the patrol boat Naiguata which allegedly ordered it to sail for a Venezuelan island, Isla de Margarita.
Then, 'gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed and purposely collided with the RCGS Resolute', Columbia says.
'The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship's head towards Venezuelan territorial waters,' it is alleged.
'While the Resolute sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel's seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel Resolute and started to take water,' Columbia says.
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Columbia Cruise Services, the owner of the cruise liner, said the Venezuelan crew had fired shots and appeared to be trying to seize the civilian vessel, which was also an icebreaker. It described the move as an “act of aggression in international waters”.
The 122m RCGS Resolute is a luxury liner which sails under a Portuguese flag and is designed for voyages in Antarctica.
The cruise ship, which was carrying 32 crew and no passengers, was idling during maintenance on its way to the Dutch-owned island of Curacao.
Shortly after midnight, the ship was approached by the patrol boat Naiguata which allegedly ordered it to sail for a Venezuelan island, Isla de Margarita.
Then, 'gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed and purposely collided with the RCGS Resolute', Columbia says.
'The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship's head towards Venezuelan territorial waters,' it is alleged.
'While the Resolute sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel's seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel Resolute and started to take water,' Columbia says.
All 44 members of the naval crew were rescued by the local authorities, but the Spanish-built vessel, which cost $US350m, sank without trace in waters 180m deep.
Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro said; 'It is as if a 100-kilo boxer grabbed a boy apprentice boxer and beat him,' claiming that the cruise ship had been the aggressor.
Source: Daily Mail, Twitter, Times, CNN, BBC, Global News, Pexels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
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