Faroe Islands ferry breakdown leaves hundreds stranded as helicopter steps in

A technical failure on the Faroese ferry Smyril forced 400 passengers to cancel travel plans on Saturday, with only 42–45 able to reach their destinations via emergency helicopter service, public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya reports.

The ferry, operated by Strandfaraskip Landsins, was scheduled to depart from Tórshavn at 8:30 AM and from Krambatangi at 11:00 AM but was grounded due to engine trouble. The breakdown disrupted a key route between the capital and the southern island of Suðuroy, where the vessel normally makes three round trips daily.

Dánjal Samuelsen, acting director of Strandfaraskip Landsins, confirmed that the afternoon departure from Suðuroy would be delayed until 4:00 PM. Further schedule changes are expected for Sunday. A helicopter was deployed to transport a limited number of passengers between Froðba and Tórshavn as a temporary solution.

Listen to Samuelsen’s full statement (in Faroese) via Kringvarp Føroya’s radio bulletin.