CNN —
One passenger was killed and four injured when a “rogue wave” struck their cruise ship during a storm earlier this week.
Passengers were on an Antarctic cruise aboard the Viking Polaris when it was struck by the storm late Tuesday night en route to Ushuaia, Argentina.
The storm created a huge wave that shattered several panes of glass on the cruise ship, falling on an American woman, killing her.
Viking Cruises confirmed in a statement released Saturday that the ship had been struck by a “rogue wave” — a type of wave the US National Ocean Service describes as “greater than twice the size of surrounding waves.”
“It is with great sadness that we have confirmed that a guest has passed away following the incident,” Viking Cruises said.
The passenger’s name or nationality was not disclosed.
However, Argentina’s state news agency Telam said the dead passenger was an American who “received hits from a glass surface that collapsed in the middle of the storm.”
“Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship’s onboard doctor and medical staff,” Viking said.
The cruise line said it is investigating and has canceled the Viking Polaris’ next voyage, which is scheduled for December 5-17.
The boat arrived in Argentina on Wednesday and had suffered “limited damage” during the incident, Viking Cruises said.
The US National Ocean Service describes rogue waves as “very unpredictable” and says they often come unexpectedly from directions other than the prevailing wind and waves.”