Cruise ship freed from beneath rail bridge on US river

An unoccupied US cruise ship that broke loose from its moorings amid rising water and ice jams on the Hudson River has been freed from beneath a rail bridge in Albany, New York.

The four-deck Captain J.P. III cruise ship and six other vessels drifted downriver, temporarily closing five vehicle bridges during morning rush hour.

The 300-foot cruise (91.4m) vessel was stuck for hours beneath a railroad bridge connecting Albany and Rensselaer, prompting train company Amtrak to reduce speeds over the span. Two Coast Guard ice-breaking cutters and two commercial tug boats worked to pull it free.

The Coast Guard says the ship was freed and towed back north to Troy. The Coast Guard says all other vessels that drifted downriver were also secured.

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