Holidaymakers rescued as Antarctica ship sinks

A group of 100 adventure holidaymakers, including 24 Brits, have safely been rescued in the Antarctic today after their cruise ship started sinking.

Passengers of the M/S Explorer ship were first evacuated onto life boats before being transferred to another ship, which was in the area at the time.

Standard procedures were followed and all passengers are safe and not injured, the tour operator that owns the ship, G.A.P. Adventures, said.

"All passengers and crew, including the captain of The M/S Explorer, are completely safe uninjured and in very good spirits. They have been evacuated to another vessel, the NordNorge, which is currently transporting them to King George Island where the NordNorge is expected to dock sometime after 17:00 GMT."

It added the incident was a result of hitting ice in the Bransfield Strait off King George Island in Antarctica.

Weather conditions were good at the time of the incident, but remain very cold – with the average summer temperature in the region of 1.5 degrees C.

The adventure holiday company has a phone line for those concerned about their families or loved ones to call - (001) 800 465 5600 ext. 101.

The M/S Explorer ship was recently bought and refurbished Canadian-based G.A.P. Adventures.

The ship has a considerable legacy in expeditions to hostile environments.

"Built by polar adventure expert Lars Eric Lindblad in 1969, Explorer was purpose built for expedition cruising in Antarctica. Also well known as 'The Little Red Ship', the vessel was the world's first expedition cruise ship, and is designed with such challenging destinations as the polar regions and the Amazon River in mind," G.A.P. Adventures said when it first acquired the ship.

"Explorer is 75 metres in length and carries 108 adventurous passengers, a large crew and one of the most experienced expedition teams in the world, most notably Captain Uli Demel, who is widely regarded as the master of Antarctic navigation."