A South African man accused of stabbing multiple people with medical scissors aboard Norwegian Encore has been arrested and charged by the FBI, according to the US Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.

Ntando Sogoni, 35, an employee on the cruise ship, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday after disembarking from the ship in Juneau. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel had departed Seattle, where Sogoni had just joined the ship as a member of the crew.

The US Attorney’s Office said other ship employees had on Monday seen him attempting to deploy a lifeboat, and he was escorted to the medical centre onboard by ship security.

While being assesed by medics, “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”, according to court documents.

“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 until Norwegian Encore docked in Juneau, Alaska, where he was arrested by the FBI. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

If convicted, Sogoni faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (R4.7 million) 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.

Norwegian Encore is sailing an Alaskan cruise season out of Seattle until August, the 7-night roundtrip cruise itineraries feature calls in Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and Ketchikan in Alaska, as well as Victoria, British Columbia.

The call in Juneau for Sogoni’s arrest was a pre-scheduled feature of the itinerary and the ship’s remaining cruise itinerary was not impacted by the incident.