A Norwegian Navy warship was rammed by an oil tanker while it was docked in a harbour on the country's west coast, injuring eight crew members.

Sola TS tanker crashed into Helge Ingstad, tearing a large hole in its side, near the Sture terminal in Oygarden at around 4 a.m (0300GMT) on Thursday.

The frigate's 137 crew members were evacuated amid fears that the warship may sink.

Andreas Stensoenes, Head of the Royal Norwegian Navy, said: "Helge Ingstad took in water after the collision, lost control and then drifted aground."

"The crew were evacuated when it was evaluated that the vessel was unstable."

"The eight crew members who are reported injured have been taken into medical care."

The Sola TS did not spill oil, it appears, but the collision forced the shutdown of a North Sea crude export terminal and Norway's largest gas processing plant, as well as a number of offshore fields.

The frigate had recently taken part in a NATO exercise.

The Norwegian military is investigating the incident.