Cruise ship runs aground in remote part of Greenland

Shutterstock [For illustration]

A cruise ship carrying 206 people has run aground in a remote location in eastern Greenland and was not immediately able to free itself, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said on Tuesday.

The Ocean Explorer luxury cruise vessel ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in a national park some 1,400 km (870 miles) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the JAC said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries and there was no immediate risk of harm to those on board nor to the environment, it added.

"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 unfavourable," the JAC head of operations, Commander Brian Jensen, added.

"However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring," he said.

The JAC said its nearest unit was an inspection vessel located some 1,200 nautical miles away at the time of the incident, meaning it could reach the grounded ship Friday morning local time at the earliest.

The Arctic command said it had asked a cruise ship located nearer to the Ocean Explorer to stay in the area so that it would be able to assist in case the situation changes.

More from International News

  • Netanyahu says Israel to decide which international forces in Gaza acceptable

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel would determine which foreign forces it would allow as part of a planned international force in Gaza to help secure an end to its war under US President Donald Trump's plan.

  • Two suspects in Louvre jewel heist case arrested in Paris

    Two suspects in the brazen daylight heist of some of France's crown jewels from the Louvre were arrested in Paris on Saturday evening and are being questioned, Le Parisien newspaper reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the investigation.

  • Russian attack on Kyiv kills three, injures 31

    Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for new strong sanctions against Russia and its allies after Russian drones killed three and injured 31, including six children, in an overnight air attack on Kyiv.

  • PKK announces withdrawal from Turkey

    The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said on Sunday it was withdrawing from Turkey as part of a disarmament process it is coordinating with the government, and pressed Ankara for concrete measures to move the process along.

Blogs