Cargo and passenger ships with thousands on board trapped by ice in the Baltic Sea
A number of ships, including ferries with more than 1,000 passengers on board, have become stuck in ice in the Baltic Sea, BBC reports.
The ferries are stranded in the waters between Stockholm and the Aland Islands, while cargo boats are stuck in the Bay of Bothnia.
Many of the vessels are not likely to be freed for hours, the Swedish maritime authorities say. They say no-one is hurt and there are currently no evacuation plans. However, the level of alert has been increased and rescuers are now on standby, Peter Lindquist from the Swedish maritime authorities told the BBC.
Six Viking Line ferries - which regularly shuttle thousands of passengers between Finland and Sweden - were among the vessels stuck.
It is reportedly the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years.
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