Video shows horrifying moments cruise ship passengers 'feared for their lives': 'Tables were flying'

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Rough seas cause nearly 100 injuries on U.K. cruise ship

A cruise ship departing the United Kingdom was forced to turn around on Saturday after being hit by a storm, causing about 100 injuries during a safety operation. Credit: Emma Danbury

Around 100 people were injured Saturday when a cruise ship off the coast of France entered rough seas. Saga Cruises' Spirit of Discovery ship encountered treacherous conditions Saturday in France's Bay of Biscay. The vessel's automatic safety systems were activated, shifting the boat to one side before it came to a stop, according to the BBC.

A spokesperson for Saga Cruises told the outlet that the ship docked on Monday in Portsmouth, adding that nearly 100 people suffered minor injuries during the ship's maneuver. The spokesperson said that five people were transported to area hospitals once on land.

The ship had embarked on a 14-day cruise to the Canary Islands, which left on Oct. 24 with around 1,000 people onboard before cruise staff made a decision to turn around and head back to the U.K.

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One passenger, Emma Danbury, provided Fox News Digital with a video from her cabin showing waves hitting the ship. (Emma Danbury)

However, one passenger told the BBC that the situation was dire. Another said people "feared for their lives."

"To say 'minor injuries' is an insult to the many horrific broken bones, pelvises, lacerations, stitches etc. that were caused [to] a very old passenger clientele," the passenger said. "People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized."

"People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized."

"The tone of voice in our captain... he was physically scared. We had crew crying. We had many passengers in awful states of fear," the passenger added.

Jan Bendall, a passenger on the ship, told the BBC that the captain came over the speaker system and told passengers to "remain seated or lie down."

One passenger, Emma Danbury, provided Fox News Digital with a video from her cabin showing waves hitting the ship.

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Saga cruise's Spirit of Discovery ship entered rough seas on Saturday in the U.K.'s Bay of Biscay, causing the safety system's to shift the boat suddenly to the left and come to nearly a stop, according to the BBC. (Emma Danbury)

Bendall said the ship was at a standstill for about 15 hours during the storm, adding that her husband and herself were "holding on for dear life."

A portion of the dining room was converted into a "makeshift medical area," Bendall said, adding that passengers were asked to remain in their cabins for a portion of Saturday and all of Sunday.

Alan Grisedale, a passenger on the ship, said "tables were flying" with waves "throwing people around all up and down the place."

In a statement to the BBC, Saga said there was "very limited" damage to fixtures inside the ship, but it "remained safe at all times."

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Passengers are seen on upper decks as the Spirit of Discovery, a 58,250 GT cruise ship operating for Saga Cruises, sails the Tagus River after leaving the city's cruise terminal on August 09, 2023, in Lisbon, Portugal.  (Horacio Villalobos/ via Getty Images)

"While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely on their way home in calmer seas," the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Saga Cruises for comment.