Emergency services were placed on alert Thursday morning after the ferry Ternen crashed into a building on Herfoel, according to local reports. Despite significant structural damage to the waterfront building, no injuries have been reported among passengers or crew.
The incident occurred when the ferry, which operates under the company Norled, experienced a technical malfunction while approaching the quay. According to witnesses, the crew was unable to shift the vessel into neutral or reverse, causing it to continue forward until it ran firmly aground inside the old post office building, which today houses a seasonal shop.
Erik Weidahl of Herføl Marina, who arrived shortly after the collision, described substantial damage to the structure:
“There are major damages to both the wall and the roof. They’ve had bad luck with the high tide — extremely high water right now. If the water level had been lower, the ferry likely wouldn’t have gone so far into the building,” Weidahl told NRK.
Photos from the scene show the bow of Ternen embedded deep into the building, with a vehicle still parked on the ferry’s deck.
Police in the Øst district confirmed that they were notified by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (HRS) but did not respond to the scene.
“The ferry is stuck, but they are handling the evacuation themselves. There is no official rescue operation, and police are not deploying,” said Terje Askatrud, police operations leader.
HRS also stated there was no danger to life, and that passengers were expected to disembark shortly before efforts began to pull the vessel free.
Ferry operator Norled described the incident as an “unwanted event” and announced that the connection is suspended until further notice. Further updates will be provided as assessments of the vessel and quay damage continue.
The cause of the technical failure has not yet been determined.
