Cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in Greenland

A cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew has run aground on a remote stretch of Greenland and could potentially be stuck for days waiting for the nearest ship to arrive to help.

The Ocean Explorer got into trouble on Monday in Alpefjord, a dramatic and rugged stretch of Northeast Greenland National Park, and has not been able to free itself, according to a statement from Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC).

“This means that the tide - which came during the day, local time - did not give the desired help to sail on,” a JAC statement said.

All passengers onboard are “safe and well,” tour agency Aurora Expeditions, the operator of Ocean Explorer, said on Wednesday.

“Importantly, there is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment,” reads a statement from Aurora Expeditions.

Following the incident, the closest inspection vessel, the Knud Rasmussen, was disptached to assist, according to the statement, but faced a journey of 1,200 nautical miles (around 2,222 kilometers) to reach the cruise ship,

The earliest the vessel is expected to reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning local time, depending on weather.

“As soon as we realized that the Ocean Explorer could not get free on its own, we sent a ship towards the wreck,” Arctic Commander Brian Jensen said.

“As soon as possible, we will also fly over the site to get fresh images to help us assess the situation on site,” he continued.

“We have also secured the support of other vessels in the vicinity should their assistance become necessary.”

Jensen said the Ocean Explorer could still re-float on a high tide, but failing that, the Knud Rasmussen would assist.

“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,” Aurora Expeditions said.

“We have also secured the support of other vessels in the vicinity should their assistance become necessary.”

The ship was “purpose-built for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations,” according to the official website for Aurora Expeditions.

According to the JAC, the Government of Greenland, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Accident Investigation Board have been informed of the incident.