Storms and bad omens spelled disaster for the ill-fated Viking Sky after engine failure and terrifying conditions forced the airlifted evacuation of several hundred people, while hundreds more awaited their fate onboard.

Videos circulating on social media show chaos as the ship appeared to fall apart as a storm ravaged the sea around the vessel. The Viking Sky was sailing off the coast of Norway when a storm rendered one of its engines useless.

According to The New York Times, the Sky sent out a Mayday alert at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. The ship was en route to another Norwegian port before its terminal port in England.

After the storm’s initial confrontation with the ship, rescue operations to airlift passengers to safety commenced. According to original reporting by Reuters, 397 passengers were airlifted to safety. The total number of crew and passengers numbered 1,373. The injuries sustained by certain passengers were not serious, a Viking spokesperson told The New York Times.

Following the storm, tugboats and three quarters of the ship’s engines helped the ship reach port. For people stranded by the storm, Viking arranged flights home, The New York Times reported.

“Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew,” Viking Cruises said in a statement after the Sky reached port. “We have already begun our own internal investigation and our goal is to establish a complete and thorough understanding of what happened. We welcome the investigations that have been launched, and will fully support them. Viking Ocean Cruises will not have any further comments until the investigations have been completed.”

The ship’s next sailing was canceled, but the line does not anticipate further cancellations.

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