Officials say that a number of ships including ferries with more than 1,000 passengers on board are stuck in ice in the Baltic Sea. The ferries are stranded in the waters between Stockholm and the Aland Islands, while cargo boats are stuck in the Bay of Bothnia. The Swedish maritime authorities say that many of the vessels are not likely to be freed soon. They say no-one is hurt. However, the level of alert has been increased and rescuers are now on standby.Both Sweden and Finland have deployed ice breakers in the area to help the stranded vessels.