Container ship runs aground near Trondheim home, no injuries reported

Johan Helberg, who lives near the Byneset area close to Trondheim, Norway, woke up around 5:00 AM on Thursday morning to find a giant container ship right in front of him. The 135-meter-long cargo ship had run aground and was resting just a few meters from Helberg's home.

Helberg learned about the incident when his neighbor, panicked, knocked on his door. Speaking to Norwegian TV channel TV2, Helberg said, "At that hour, I didn't want to open the door, but when I heard the knock, I looked out the window. I saw a huge ship. I had to crane my neck to see its upper part. It was a surreal sight."

"Like a mountain rising in front of his house"
His neighbor, Jostein Jorgensen, said he woke up to the noise of the ship rapidly approaching the shore and quickly ran to Helberg's house.

"I thought Helberg was already outside, but there was no sign of life inside. I pressed the doorbell repeatedly but got no response. Eventually, I reached him by phone," he said.

Crew safe, accident under investigation
The Cyprus-flagged cargo ship NCL Salten was reportedly heading southwest through the Trondheim Fjord toward Orkanger at the time of the incident. There were 16 crew members on board, and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the accident is still unknown; Norwegian police have launched an investigation.

Johan Helberg summed up his shock with the words: "It's a very big neighbor, but it will leave soon."

According to media reports, the same ship ran aground in 2023 but managed to free itself without outside help.