A Trawler’s attempt to free a stranded cruise ship in Greenland has failed

HELSINKI (Reuters) – An attempt by a fishing vessel to free a luxury cruise ship that ran aground two days ago in a remote area of ​​Greenland failed, leaving the ship stranded with 206 people on board, the Danish Armed Forces said on Tuesday. Wednesday.

The Danish Army’s Joint Arctic Command said that the Ocean Explorer ship had been stuck since Monday in mud and silt in the Alpfjord National Park, about 1,400 kilometers northeast of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

The large fishing vessel sought to tow the cruise ship during high tide on Wednesday, but the attempt ultimately failed, JAC said in a statement.

Armed Forces personnel stationed in Greenland examined the Ocean Explorer ship and spoke to those on board, concluding that they were in good condition.

“The crew and passengers are in a difficult situation, but under these circumstances the atmosphere on board is good and everyone on board is in good condition,” JAC said.

The Danish Navy’s patrol ship Knud Rasmussen is expected to arrive at the Alpfjord site on Friday afternoon, JAC said.

“If all goes well, they will help the ship out of the emergency situation it is in at the moment. But it depends on how everything will look when they arrive on Friday, so we need to see how it goes,” the JAC spokesman said. He said.

Australian cruise company Aurora Expeditions previously said passengers and crew remained safe on board.

“There is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel or the surrounding environment,” Sydney-based Aurora said in a statement.

Pictures taken by the Danish military showed the Ocean Explorer sitting upright in calm waters with the sun shining.

Greenland, a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark in the North Atlantic Ocean with a population of just 57,000 people, attracts tourists with its rugged landscape and vast ice sheet that covers much of the island.

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.