COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew has run aground in northwestern Greenland, authorities mentioned Tuesday, including that nobody on board was in peril and no harm has been reported.
“Our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable,” mentioned Cmdr. Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command.
The closest Danish navy ship was about 1,200 nautical miles (greater than 2,000 kilometers or 1,380 miles) away, he mentioned, including it was heading to the location and might be anticipated on the grounded ship as quickly as Friday. Jensen mentioned in an announcement there isn’t any rapid hazard to human life or the atmosphere, however that officers “take this incident very seriously.”
The 104.4-meter (343-foot) lengthy and 18-meter (60 foot) large Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord within the Northeast Greenland National Park. It’s the world’s largest and most northerly nationwide park and is understood for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast.
The ship belongs to Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, southern Norway.
Authorities have been in touch with one other cruise ship within the space and it had been requested to stay close by to help ought to the state of affairs develop. The different cruise ship was not recognized.
The grounded cruise ship may also get free by itself when the tide is excessive, Greenland tv KNR reported. “Regardless, the most important thing for us is that everyone gets to safety,” Jensen mentioned.
Later Tuesday the Joint Arctic Command mentioned on its Facebook web page that the ship was nonetheless caught regardless of the tide.
“There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in acute danger,” Joint Arctic Command mentioned.
The major mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to make sure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the world across the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, two semi-independent territories which are a part of the Danish realm.
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