Third attempt fails to free luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer that ran aground in Greenland
cruise ship carrying 206 people that ran aground in the world's northernmost national park in Greenland has failed after trying to use the high tide, authorities said. It was the third attempt to free the MV Ocean Explorer.
Earlier this week, the cruise ship made two failed attempts to float free on its own during high tide.
The cruise ship ran aground above the Arctic Circle on Monday in Alpefjord, which is in the Northeast Greenland National Park. The park is almost as much land as France and Spain combined, and approximately 80 per cent is permanently covered by an ice sheet.
Alpefjord sits about 240 kilometres (149 miles) away from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which itself is nearly 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the country's capital, Nuuk.
The Greenland Nature Institute's fisheries research vessel Tarajoq attempted to pull the Ocean Explorer free at high tide on Wednesday morning.
«Unfortunately, the attempt was not successful,» said the Danish Joint Arctic Command, which was coordinating the operation to free the cruise ship.
In a statement, the Arctic Command's «first priority» was to have its larger inspection vessel Knud Rasmussen reach the site, saying the ship was expected Friday in the evening as it had to «slow down a bit» on its way because of the weather.
The cruise ship is operated by Australia-based Aurora Expeditions and has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine.
