``I'm from Los Angeles and I can only compare it to a 7.5 richter scale earthquake. It was that violent,'' said Edna Mae Glikmann.

Only three holiday-makers on the Bahamas-registered Norwegian Dream were injured in the collision which left the container ship adrift and ablaze in the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The Norwegian Dream, carrying about 2,400 passengers, mainly British and American, limped into the English port of Dover about six hours after the impact that spilled four large containers on to the liner's deck.

The passengers were just seven hours away from ending a 12-day European cruise when the ships collided at 00.15 am GMT about 32 km northwest of the English coastal town of Margate.

``We really thought we were going to capsize because it keeled over horribly to the side,'' Glikmannsaid. Passengers said television sets and other articles were flung across their cabins by the collision. ``We were on our way to bed and we just felt this really sharp turn. We were sent up to get our life jackets,'' said Katie Trella from New Jersey, USA.

Helicopters, tugs, lifeboats, five merchant ships and the German Frigate Augsburg stood by to assist the 17 crew still battling the fire on the Panama-registered ever decent.

``A noxious cloud of smoke is coming from the vessel and all ships are being warned to keep clear of the area,'' a spokesman for Dover Coastguards said. ``The container ship is now upright after listing at about 40 degrees, but it is seriously damaged,'' said the spokesman. The Norwegian Dream's bridge was badly damaged and its bow caved in near the waterline.

The spokesman said there were few details on how the collision occurred but the fire broke out after the collision.

``The winds were light...and visibility good,'' he said, adding that the contents of thecontainers had not yet been established.

Lloyds Shipping Service said the 52,090 gross tonne cargo ship was built in 1997 and was owned by the Evergreen Marine Corp in Taipei. The 50,764 gross tonne Norwegian Dream was built in 1992 and is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, based in Hamilton, Bermuda.