A cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew on board has run aground on a remote stretch of Greenland and could potentially be stuck for days waiting for the nearest ship to arrive to help.
In a statement, Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC) stated that the ship got into trouble on Monday in Alpefjord, a dramatic and rugged stretch of Northeast Greenland National Park, and could not free itself.
“This means that the tide - which came during the day, local time - did not give the desired help to sail on,” read part of the statement.
Tour agency Aurora Expedition on Wednesday confirmed that all passengers onboard are “safe and well”.
“Importantly, there is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment,” Aurora Expeditions said.
Did you read this?
According to the statement, the Knud Rasmussen, the closest inspection vessel, was dispatched to help after the mishap, but it would take 1,200 nautical miles (or 2,222 kilometers) to reach the cruise ship.
Depending on the weather, the vessel won't arrive at the Ocean Explorer until Friday morning local time.
“As soon as we realized that the Ocean Explorer could not get free on its own, we sent a ship towards the wreck,” Arctic Commander Brian Jensen said.
“As soon as possible, we will also fly over the site to get fresh images to help us assess the situation on site,” he continued.
“We have also secured the support of other vessels in the vicinity should their assistance become necessary.”
Jensen said the Ocean Explorer could still re-float on a high tide, but failing that, the Knud Rasmussen would assist.
According to the JAC, the Government of Greenland, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Accident Investigation Board have been informed of the incident.
