Viking Polaris: Passenger killed after 'rogue wave' hits cruise ship

One passenger was killed and four more injured after a "rogue wave" hit a cruise ship bound for Antarctica, travel company Viking has said.

The Norwegian-flagged Viking Polaris was caught in a storm as it sailed towards Ushuaia, Argentina on Tuesday.

The victim was a US woman who died after being struck by shattered glass, Argentinian media report.

Viking said it was investigating the incident and offered its "deepest sympathies" to the passenger's family.

"Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel," the company added in a statement issued on Friday.

The company did not reveal the name and nationality of the passenger.

However, Argentine news agency Telam said the dead passenger was an American woman who "received blows from a glass surface that collapsed in the middle of the storm".

The 202m (662ft) ship - which was completed this year - arrived in Argentina on Wednesday and had sustained "limited damage" after being struck by the wave, Viking said.

The company has decided to cancel its scheduled voyage, which would have seen the ship sail towards Antarctica from 5-17 December.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rogue waves can be double the size of surrounding waves. They often come unexpectedly from directions other than that of the prevailing wind.

In 2019, a study revealed that rogue waves are occurring less often but becoming more extreme, posing an increased risk to global shipping.