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French passenger ferry Napoleon Bonaparte left listing in ocean after moorings snap in 60mph winds

  • Impact ripped a 30-metre long hole in rear of boat below waterline
  • No one hurt in incident as ferry currently out of service for winter
  • Flooded boat, which can carry 2,650 passengers and 708 vehicles, currently being 'stabilised'
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By Amy Oliver for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 13:51, 29 October 2012 | Updated: 16:04, 29 October 2012

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A passenger ferry is listing along a dock in Marseille after being wrenched from her moorings by 60mph winds that battered France's southern coast.

The Napoleon Bonaparte rotated before crashing into the wharf after some dozen ropes snapped in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to reports today.

The impact ripped a 30-metre long hole in the rear of the boat below the waterline, according to owners Nationale Corse Méditerranée (SNCM).

Tilt: French passenger and car ferry Napoleon Bonaparte lists on her starboard side along a dock in Marseille after 60mph winds snapped her moorings at the weekend

Tilt: French passenger and car ferry Napoleon Bonaparte lists on her starboard side along a dock in Marseille after 60mph winds snapped her moorings at the weekend

Damage: The impact ripped a 30-metre long hole in the rear of the boat below the waterline, according to owners Nationale Corse Méditerranée (SNCM)

Damage: The impact ripped a 30-metre long hole in the rear of the boat below the waterline, according to owners Nationale Corse Méditerranée (SNCM)

Water poured into two watertight compartments and the ship's keel now 'seems to rest on the bottom,' a SNCM spokesman told Metro France.

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No one was hurt in the incident as the ferry is currently out of service for the winter.

Camille Abboche, for SNCM said: 'We are used to high winds, but this is an exception.'

Impact: Water poured into two watertight compartments and the ship's keel now 'seems to rest on the bottom,' a SNCM spokesman said

Impact: Water poured into two watertight compartments and the ship's keel now 'seems to rest on the bottom,' a SNCM spokesman said

Questions: France's maritime union representative Yann Pantel said he was surprised the vessel had not been moved in light of an orange storm alert

Questions: France's maritime union representative Yann Pantel said he was surprised the vessel had not been moved in light of an orange storm alert

Bad weather: Violent winds swept through the region causing the Ligue 1 football match between Marseille and Lyon to be postponed

Bad weather: Violent winds swept through the region causing the Ligue 1 football match between Marseille and Lyon to be postponed

Today questions were being asked as to why the ship had not been moved ahead of the storm.

France's maritime union representative Yann Pantel told Metro France of his surprise that the vessel had been left at the dock in spite of an orange storm alert.

The flooded boat, which can carry 2,650 passengers and 708 vehicles, was being 'stabilised' on Monday, Hugues Parant, the prefect of Marseille, told AFP.

The 16-year-old boat is due to be patched up and pumped out on Monday afternoon.

SNCM said there was no risk of pollution from oil because the ballasts containing fuel were not affected.

Violent winds swept through the region over the weekend causing damage and the Ligue 1 football match between Marseille and Lyon to be postponed.

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