All passengers and crew onboard expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer, which has run aground in a remote part of eastern Greenland, are safe and well, operator AE Expeditions has said.
The ship was sailing in the Northeast Greenland National Park, with 206 passengers, expedition team and crew onboard when it ran aground on Tuesday.
The park is 950 miles from Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and has no permanent residents.
A spokeswoman said there is a mix of nationalities onboard, including British, Australian and American passengers.
Joint Arctic Command, which patrols Greenland, is reportedly sending aircraft to assess Ocean Explorer’s position and has alerted other ships in the area to be prepared to assist.
The nearest ship, Knud Rasmussen, was 1,200 nautical miles away when Ocean Explorer ran aground.
JAC Commander Brian Jensen said: “It is a long way from immediate help, our units are far from [the ship] and the weather can be very unfavourable.
“However, we do not see acute danger to human life or the environment. Of course, we are following the situation closely and take this incident very seriously.”
He added the ship ‘can either try to get out under their own steam when the tide is high, get help from a nearby cruise ship, get assistance from Knud Rasmussen, or help from one of our collaborators’.
“No matter what, the most important thing for us is that everyone arrives safe.”
Parent company Aurora Expeditions said: “The MV Ocean Explorer ran aground during its voyage, in Alpefjord, Greenland on Tuesday.
“All passengers, the expedition team and crew onboard are safe and well.
“Importantly, there is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment.
“We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding.
“Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel’s recovery without compromising safety.
“We have also secured the support of other vessels in the vicinity should their assistance become necessary.
“As we continue to gather more information and progress in our efforts, we will provide further updates.”
