MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cruise vessel with 122 pax and crew trapped in Antarctic ice

M/V Ushuaia

The Panamanian flagged cruise vessel Ciudad de Ushuaia, with 122 people on board, called for help Thursday after getting stuck in the ice, suffering a fuel leak and letting in a “minimal” amount of water, the Argentine Navy said in Buenos Aires.

The ship's 89 passengers and a crew of 33 were "in perfect health," Admiral Daniel Alberto Martin told the news television channel C5N. The problem was located some 300 kilometres south-west of Argentina's Antarctic base Comodoro Marambio. A search and rescue operation from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego was immediately dispatched. They include a support vessel and an airplane to assist the troubled boat. The support vessel is the Chilean Navy "Lautaro" on Antarctic patrol duty. It was also reported that a near by cruise vessel, Antarctic Dreamis also heading for the area. The two vessels were expected to reach "Ushuaia"this evening or early night. Martin said the meteorological conditions in the area were "not the best," particularly due to the wind. "We've received information from the captain of the Ushuaiathat the boat is grounded ... with a minimal amount of water coming in and some fuel loss" added Martin. The ship is operated by Antarpply Expeditions, based in Ushuaia from where she left last Sunday. A year ago, more than 150 crew and passengers, many of them elderly, escaped unhurt in a dramatic rescue after the "Explorer"cruise ship hit ice off Antarctica and sank. In December 2007 the Norwegian cruise Fram with 256 passengers and a crew of 70 on board, was two hours adrift following engine failure until it was rescued.