Bomb Squad Called Out During Cruise Ship Boarding at Kiel
Passengers aboard the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax got a scare this week when a regular check turned up traces of explosives on a consignment of ships' stores.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mein Schiff Relax was alongside at her berth at Kiel's Ostseekai, taking on supplies and embarking a new group of passengers. At about 1300 hours, four pallets of ships' stores - loaded with rolls of steel cable - were subjected to a pre-loading inspection in the terminal parking lot. These items triggered an explosives detector during a security check, police told RTL.
At the time, a portion of the ship's 2,000 passengers were already on board. The port side of the vessel was evacuated as a safety precaution, and passengers calmly moved over to spaces on the starboard side of the ship. The port staff cleared a safety zone of about 150 meters in every direction.
After inspection by a bomb disposal squad, the authorities gave the all-clear at about 1515, and the ship was allowed to resume preparations for its regular departure for Oslo at 1900 hours.
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"In accordance with applicable safety procedures, the relevant authorities were immediately informed. As a precautionary measure, the terminal and certain areas of the ship were temporarily evacuated to allow for the necessary inspections," German cruise operator TUI told local media.
Mein Schiff Relax departed on her commercial voyage and has arrived in Oslo, AIS data shows.