New video footage shows when a Venezuelan naval vessel and German cruise ship collide, which causes the warship to sink because the liner had a hull that was reinforced for crashing through ice.
A seaman aboard the patrol boat Naiguata is seen at the beginning of the footage firing an AK-47 at the RGCS Resolute from Germany last Monday
The heavily edited footage released by the Venezuelan Navy shows the warship at one point facing the cruise ship head on.
New video footage shows when a Venezuelan naval vessel and German cruise ship collide, which causes the warship to sink because the liner had a hull that was reinforced for crashing through ice. A Venezuelan seaman is pictured at the start of the footage
The seaman in the footage is on board the Venezuelan patrol boat Naiguata holding an AK-47 as the the RGCS Resolute from Germany is seen in the background
The seaman is then seen firing upon the Resolute
The heavily edited footage released by the Venezuelan Navy shows the warship at one point facing the cruise ship head on
The footage moments later then shows the Resolute impacting the Naiguata from the side.
The impact causes severe damage to the warship as it begins to take on water. Chaos ensues and people are heard scrambling to get to safety.
The liner’s owner, Colombia Cruise Services, has alleged the Venezuelans were the aggressor in the accident, accusing them of making an ill-fated attempt to illegally seize the liner in international waters.
The same footage moments later shows the Resolute impacting the Naiguata from the side
The impact seen in the footage causes severe damage to the warship
The Resolute appearing undamaged is seen pulling away from the Naiguata
All 44 crew members aboard the patrol vessel were rescued after the ship sunk, the cruise line says.
Venezuela’s defense ministry has argued the cruise ship was to blame, despite widespread reports to the contrary.
Venezuela’s autocratic leader Nicolas Maduro has already raged about ‘piracy and terrorism’ after the disputed collision on Monday, Spanish-speaking media says.
‘It is as if a 100-kilo boxer grabbed a boy apprentice boxer and beat him,’ Maduro said, claiming that the cruise ship had been the aggressor.
The Venezuelan military patrol boat Naiguata (pictured) allegedly sank after a disastrous attempt to ram a cruise ship in international waters
The crew of the RCGS Resolute (file photo) say they were shot at and rammed by the Venezuelan patrol boat in the Caribbean Sea
The Resolute sails under the Portuguese flag but is managed by the German-based company Columbia Cruise Services.
The ship’s strengthened hull, for ice expeditions, suffered only minor damage in the collision.
Some reports have linked the collision to a recent diplomatic row between Venezuela and Portugal.
A statement from Columbia said the cruise ship was ‘subject to an act of aggression by the Venezuelan navy in international waters’.
The cruise ship, which was carrying 32 crew and no passengers, was idling during maintenance on its way to the Dutch-owned island of Curacao, Columbia says.
Shortly after midnight, the ship was approached by the Naiguata which allegedly ordered it to sail for a Venezuelan island, Isla de Margarita.
Then, ‘gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed and purposely collided with the RCGS Resolute’, Columbia says.
‘The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters,’ it is alleged.
The RCGS Resolute, which is equipped with a strengthened hull for ice expeditions, suffered only minor damage in the collision (pictured)
‘While the Resolute sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel’s seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel Resolute and started to take water,’ Columbia says.
‘Ready to support anytime, the Resolute remained for over one hour in vicinity of the scene and reached out to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre [in] Curacao.
‘This is an international body which oversees any maritime emergencies. All attempts to contact those on board the navy ship have been left unanswered.
‘Only after receiving the order to resume passage full ahead by the MRCC and that further assistance is not required, the Resolute, currently safely moored in the port of Willemstad, continued sailing towards her destination at Curacao.
‘A full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident will now be carried out.’
Venezuela’s defence ministry disputes this account, alleging that the cruise ship had caused the collision.
Officials in Caracas say the crew of the patrol boat were rescued, acknowledging that the Naiguata suffered ‘damage of great magnitude’ without saying that it sank.