A Russian icebreaking ship, Tor, has sent out a distress call by accident, Russia’s maritime transportation agency reported. According to the agency, the vessel is continuing to travel safely along its scheduled route.
Previously, Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported, citing the Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre for South Norway that a Russian icebreaking vessel had sent out a distress signal near the western coast of Norway.
According to the report, the icebreaker purportedly sent the mayday call amid a violent storm after its engine stopped functioning. Shortly after the engine shutdown, the icebreaker was able to begin manoeuvring again.
The rescue services reported that a helicopter and towing vessels have been dispatched to the area where the signal came from.