Passenger vessel runs aground near Valamo Monastery, 27 evacuated

A passenger vessel ran aground Tuesday morning near Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi, eastern Finland, prompting an evacuation by emergency services, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time on Lake Monikkaselkä, about 1.5 kilometers northwest of the monastery’s shore. Janne Halonen, duty officer for the North Karelia Rescue Department, confirmed the vessel was a commercial passenger ship carrying 27 people.

No injuries were reported, and the vessel showed no signs of leaking. Rescue crews were evacuating passengers from the ship using smaller boats.