Cruise ship stranded in Greenland could take days to reach

Sept. 13 (UPI) -- A cruise ship that ran aground Monday off in a national park in Greenland could be stuck for days awaiting assistance, according to Danish authorities.

"On Monday afternoon West Greenlandic time, the Arctic Command received a message that the cruise ship Ocean Explorer was grounded in the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland, and the ship was not immediately able to be freed on its own help," Denmark's Joint Arctic Command said in a statement posted to Facebook.

The cruise ship Ocean Explorer, which is run by the Australian company Aurora Expeditions, was carrying 206 people when it ran aground, with Danish authorities saying the tides did not dislodge the vessel.

"The tide -- which came during the day, local time -- did not give the desired help to sail on," the Danish Joint Arctic Command said.

According to the Joint Arctic Command, none of the passengers have been injured, though media reports indicate that two passengers have come down with COVID-19 and are in isolation.

The commander of the Danish Joint Arctic Command, Commander Captain Brian Jensen, said that while it will be difficult to evacuate the passengers, there is not an immediate danger to the lives of the people onboard.

"A cruise ship in trouble in the National Park is of course worrisome. There is a long way for immediate help, our units are far from that, and the weather can be very unfavorable. In this specific situation, however, we do not see acute danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring," Jensen said.

According to the Joint Arctic Command, an inspection vessel has been dispatched to help the vessel, but the remote location of the national park means it will take some time for help to arrive.

"Artic Command's closest unit is the inspection vessel Knud Rasmussen, which at the time of the report was approximately 1,200 nautical miles from the cruise ship. This means that Knud Rasmussen can arrive at the grounded ship on Friday morning local time," Joint Arctic Command said.

Arctic Command stressed that "the weather can play a role too."

Jensen said the Joint Arctic Command was trying to find ways to reach the vessel faster.

"We have reached out to relevant partners in the operation area to investigate whether other units have a shorter and faster rout to the grounded ship," Jensen said.