A luxury cruise ship, carrying 206 passengers, has run aground in the remote eastern reaches of Greenland, according to the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC), as reported on Tuesday.
The vessel, known as the Ocean Explorer, became grounded on Monday within Alpefjord, located in a national park approximately 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) northeast of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, as confirmed by the JAC in an official statement.
Commander Brian Jensen, Head of Operations at JAC, expressed concern about the cruise ship’s predicament, stating, “A cruise ship in trouble in the national park is obviously a worry. The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable.” He further added, “However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring.”
A spokesperson for Australian cruise operator Aurora Expeditions conveyed in an emailed statement that all passengers on board were safe and in good health.
At the time of the incident, the JAC’s nearest unit was situated about 1,200 nautical miles away, meaning it could potentially reach the grounded ship by Friday morning, local time, at the earliest.
The Arctic command has requested that a nearby cruise ship stay in the vicinity of the Ocean Explorer to provide assistance if the situation evolves.
The Ocean Explorer, which was completed in 2021, is designed to accommodate up to 134 passengers and offers voyages to “some of the most wild and remote destinations on the planet,” as detailed on the Aurora Expeditions website.
