Cruise ship sinking after hitting iceberg in Antarctic

The Explorer struck the iceberg near the South Shetland Islands, which is south of Argentina. Crew members sent distress calls to nearby Chile. Captain Carlos Munita of the Chilean Navy said they were making sure nothing leaks from the sinking ship that could pollute the water.

The British Coast Guard says the iceberg knocked “a hole the size of a fist” in the hull of the ship. The Explorer was said to be “taking in a serious amount of water” earlier last night.

“We believed it has been hulled, it has the hole the size of a fist and some cracking in the hull of the ship, it’s taking water and it’s listing about 21 degrees,” said the coastguard spokesperson.

All passengers and crew were immediately evacuated from the ship but still faced danger in the freezing temperatures. The temperature was said to be around minus 5C and forecasters said hypothermia wouldn’t take long to set in at that temperature.

A Norwegian cruise ship, MS Nord Norge, picked up the passengers and crew. No injuries were reported and all are said to be in “good condition.”

Gap Adventures, which is based in Toronto, Canada, owns the sinking vessel.

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