South African working on cruiseliner 'stabs people with medical scissors'

A South African man accused of stabbing multiple people with medical scissors after trying to get off a cruise ship in Alaska has been arrested.

Ntando Sogoni, 35, an employee on the cruise ship, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday after disembarking from the ship in Juneau.

The US Attorney's Office said other ship employees had on Monday seen him attempting to deploy a lifeboat.

Ship security escorted him to the on-board medical centre for an assessment. Once there, court documents state: “Sogoni physically attacked a security guard and a male nurse inside an examination room and proceeded to enter another examination room where a woman, who is a US citizen, was being examined.

“He grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the woman multiple times in the arm, hand and face.

“He also stabbed two security guards who intervened — one in the head and one in the back and shoulders.”

Sogoni was detained and held in the ship’s jail before his arrest. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (R4.7m) fine for each count.

The FBI Anchorage field office, FBI Juneau resident agency and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the case.

USA Today reports Sogoni had only boarded the ship, which it named as the Norwegian Encore, that day in Seattle. The alleged attack happened at 2am on Sunday, the report said.

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