Argentine cruise ship calls for help in Antarctica

Other News Materials 4 December 2008 22:54 (UTC +04:00)

The Argentine cruise ship 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 happened some 300 kilometres south-west of Argentina's Antarctic base, Comodoro Marambio, dpa reported.

The Argentine Navy had sent a ship and an airplane to assist the troubled boat, while a cruise ship that was nearby was approaching it with a view to rescuing passengers.

Martin said the meteorological conditions in the area were "not the best," particularly due to the wind.

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