Port of Calais shut after passenger ferry with 300 people on board runs aground

Telegraph Reporters
Updated
A tugboat manoeuvres the P&O ferry Pride of Kent after it ran aground during bad weather in the port of Calais - REUTERS
A tugboat manoeuvres the P&O ferry Pride of Kent after it ran aground during bad weather in the port of Calais - REUTERS

A passenger ferry has run aground forcing the closure of the Port of Calais in France.

A total of 316 people, including 208 passengers, are reported to have been on board the ship which has since been refloated.

A P&O spokesman said that no-one was injured and efforts were underway to transfer the passengers to another vessel.

He said: "We can confirm that one of our ships ran aground whilst leaving the Port of Calais this afternoon.

"There are no reported injuries, the ship was refloated within two hours and we hope to transfer our passengers to an alternative ship as soon as possible."

P&O Ferries Updates posted on Twitter: "#POCalais: The Port of Calais is currently closed due to extreme weather. Please check in as per your original sailing time and you will be accommodated on the first available sailing."