2023-09-13 11:36:00
View of the Ocean Explorer, a luxury cruise ship with 206 people that ran aground, in Alpefjord, Greenland. (Danish Air Force/Arctic Command/REUTERS)
A Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew on board has run aground off northwest Greenland, authorities said Tuesday, adding that no one on board was in danger and no damage was reported.
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The nearest Danish navy ship was regarding 1,200 nautical miles (more than 2,000 kilometers or 1,380 miles) away, officials said, adding that it was headed to the scene and might be expected at the stranded ship as soon as the Friday.
“A cruise ship in trouble in the National Park is of course worrying. The closest help is far away, our units are far away and the weather can be very unfavorable,” said Brian Jensen, head of operations for the Danish Armed Forces’ Arctic Command (JAC). The official added that there is no immediate danger to human life or the environment, but that authorities “take this incident very seriously.”
The Ocean Explorer, 104.4 meters long and 18 meters wide, ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord, in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It is the largest and northernmost national park in the world and is known for the icebergs and musk oxen that roam the coast.
The ship belongs to the Ulstein Group of Ulsteinvik, southern Norway.
Another cruise ship in the area has been contacted by authorities and has been asked to remain nearby to assist should the situation evolve. The other cruise ship has not been identified.
“Our top priority is the safety of the 206 people on board. It is very isolated. We are in the national park, northeast of Greenland, there is no population. Fortunately it is calm and we have time on our side as there is no imminent threat of a storm,” Jensen said.
The stranded cruise ship might also free itself when the tide rises, Greenlandic television KNR reported. “In any case, the most important thing for us is that everyone is safe,” Jensen stated.
The official explained that, in addition to sending a rescue ship, the JAC will send a drone as soon as possible to obtain images to help evaluate the situation, and is coordinating with other forces such as the Icelandic coast guard.
Another cruise ship in the area has been contacted by authorities and has been asked to remain nearby to assist should the situation evolve. (Danish Air Force/Arctic Command/REUTERS)
Later on Tuesday, the Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page that the ship remained stuck despite the tide.
“There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in serious danger,” the Joint Arctic Command said.
The main mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to guarantee Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area surrounding the Faroe Islands and Greenland, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish kingdom.
The Northeast Greenland National Park occupies almost half the surface of the island belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest as well as the northernmost in the world.
Established in 1974, it covers approximately 972,000 square kilometers. Located in the Arctic region of Greenland, this park is a sanctuary for a diversity of wildlife, including polar bears, walruses, and various species of seals and seabirds.
A fjord in southeastern Greenland, shown with a marine-terminus glacier in the distance (Kristin Laidre/University of Washington/REUTERS)
Access to the park is extremely limited to preserve its pristine ecosystem. Only researchers and a very small number of tourists are allowed entry, who must obtain special permits and follow strict conservation guidelines. There are no roads or permanent infrastructure within the park, making it an area virtually undisturbed by human activity.
The climate in Northeast Greenland National Park is polar arctic, with temperatures that can drop to -30 degrees Celsius. Glaciers and ice formations are a prominent feature of the landscape, and the park is also home to some of the oldest rock formations on the planet, dating back up to 3.8 billion years.
The preservation of the park is an issue of international interest, especially in the context of climate change. Ongoing research in the area seeks to better understand Arctic ecosystems and their response to climate variations.
(With information from EFE)
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