Dozens of ships stuck in the thick Baltic ice off Stockholm have now been freed.
26 other ships reportedly remain stuck firm in ice in the Baltic Sea off the Bay of Bothnia to the north.
Those broke free included five passenger ferries, carrying more than 1000 passengers, who were trapped half-way-through for several hours in frozen waters.
Amorella, a cruise ship with 943 people on board, the smaller Via Mare ferry carrying 66 people, the passenger ferry Sea Wind with 32 people and the Regal Star, a cargo ship with 56 people on board were freed by rescue teams deployed by Swedish Maritime Administration.
Isabella and the Finnfellow, two other ferries that got stuck in the ice, were able to break free Thursday.
Rescue teams in ice-breaking vessels tried hard to break the ice but it freezes over again, said Peter Lindquist, a spokesman for the Swedish maritime authorities. Heavy wind, lashing at a speed of about 20 meters per second, also hinder rescue operations.
No-one is hurt and there is no panic on board, according to the Swedish maritime authorities. Several ferries across the Baltic Sea have been canceled because of thick ice.
Baltic Dry Index went up 7.2% as as a result of the worst Baltic freeze for 15 years.
Lindquist said the weather conditions were expected to improve on Friday.
Both Sweden and Finland have deployed ice breakers in the area to help the stranded vessels.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.