Australian cruise ship runs aground off PNG
The Coral Adventurer has run aground off the coast of Papua New Guinea with more than 120 people aboard, two months after the death of a passenger allegedly left behind on a Great Barrier Reef island.
Australian cruise ship the Coral Adventurer has run aground off the coast of Papua New Guinea with more than 120 people aboard, two months after the death of a passenger allegedly left behind on a Great Barrier Reef island.
The ship ran aground early on Saturday morning about 30 kilometres from PNG's second-largest city, Lae, in Morobe Province, however the vessel's operator says its 80 passengers and 43 crew members were not injured.
"All passengers and crew are safe," a spokesperson for Coral Expeditions said in a statement.
"An initial inspection indicates no damage to the vessel.
"The incident has been reported to authorities and will undergo further official inspections to the hull and marine environment as a standard procedure."
Coral Expeditions says all passengers and crew are safe after its ship ran aground off the coast of PNG. (ABC News: Conor Byrne)
It is understood local authorities are inspecting the vessel and working with Coral Expeditions to refloat it.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it did not receive a distress call from the Coral Adventurer but was aware it had run aground.
"AMSA is currently monitoring the situation and is ready to support PNG authorities if requested," a spokesperson said in a written statement.
PNG's national broadcaster NBC reported on Sunday that police in Morobe confirmed the Coral Adventurer was grounded en route to Madang Province and the Sepik River after it encountered strong sea currents.
Authorities will inspect for damage to coral reefs at Dreghafen Point, where the ship ran aground, according to NBC.
Ship on regulator's radar after 80yo's death
The Coral Adventurer has been under investigation after the death of 80-year-old tourist Suzanne Rees on the Great Barrier Reef's Lizard Island earlier this year.
AMSA officers and a Coral Expeditions representative boarded the ship's tender in October to investigate her death.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says it is aware the Coral Adventurer ran aground near Lae. (ABC News: Mark Moore)