A huge crane ship was left listing outside the harbour of Stavanger in south-western Norway on Thursday after a steel wire snapped during a loading operation, police said.
The Saipem 7000, operated by Italian oil services company Saipem, ended up tilting sharply, according to witness photos released by the Norwegian media, but no injuries were reported among the 275-strong crew.
The specialised vessel, which police say suffered significant material damage, was brought upright, live footage from public broadcaster NRK showed.
The accident occurred during a lift at around 10am in a fjord adjacent to Stavanger, a hub of Norway's offshore oil industry, police said.
“A steel wire snapped during a loading operation,” Brit Randulff, police superintendent, told AFP.
“Witnesses heard a loud bang, but there was no indication of an explosion,” she said. Early reports had mentioned an explosion.
“No people were hurt, but there was damage to the ship and there is a barge that tipped over and is floating upside down,” Mr Randulff said.
Built in Italy in the 1980s, the vessel, one of the largest in the world, can be partially submerged to lay pipelines and lines for the oil industry.
