A UK ferry bound for Dover ran aground at the French port of Calais on Sunday after the vessel was hit by high winds.
The 30,635-gt Pride of Kent (built 1992) was carrying over 300 people at the time of the incident which saw it stuck on a sandbank.
The ship has subsequently been refloated with the aid of tugs after battling 75mph winds caused by Storm Ana.
The storm caused major disruption at the port which did not re-open and restore cross-Channel ferry service until 18:00 local time.
“We can confirm that one of our ships ran aground leaving the Port of Calais this afternoon,” A P&O Ferries spokesperson said Sunday.
“There are no reports of injuries, the ship is now afloat and we are hoping to transfer our passengers to an alternative ship as soon as possible.”
Separately, Grimaldi’s 14,520-dwt vehicle carrier Grande Lagos (built 2003) was reportedly ordered to anchor off Dover after suffering engine failure.
The Italian flagged ship was en-route from Antwerp in Belgium to the Moroccan port of Casablanca when the incident took place.
