In a dramatic turn of events, passengers aboard the Coral Adventurer, a cruise ship that ran aground in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Saturday, will soon be flown back to their home country of Australia. Efforts to refloat the vessel have been unsuccessful, prompting this urgent evacuation plan.
The Australian-flagged Coral Adventurer found itself stuck on a reef off PNG's eastern coast around 5:25 AM local time on that fateful Saturday morning. Fortunately, all 80 passengers and 44 crew members on board are reported to be safe and unharmed. These travelers had embarked on their journey from Cairns, located in northern Australia, just over a week earlier, on December 18th.
This incident isn't the first time the Coral Adventurer has made headlines. Earlier this year, the ship faced controversy when it inadvertently left behind an elderly woman on a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef. Tragically, her body was discovered the following day, leading to an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding that event.
According to Morobe's Police Commander Chief Superintendent Samson Siguyaru, the Coral Adventurer encountered strong sea currents while navigating through the Morobe, Madang, and Sepik provinces, ultimately leading to its grounding on the reef. The vessel was noted to be leaning at a six-degree angle towards the port side, indicating a significant tilt. However, after thorough inspections, authorities determined that the ship itself sustained no damage, and there were no signs of environmental pollution or spillage.
Despite these reassurances, a detention notice was issued by authorities, declaring the ship temporarily unseaworthy. This means the Coral Adventurer cannot leave its current location until all necessary procedures are completed, as reiterated by Chief Superintendent Siguyaru.
Attempts on Sunday to free the stranded ship using both its engines and a tugboat were declared unsuccessful by PNG authorities, highlighting the challenges faced in the salvage process. In light of these developments, Coral Expeditions, the operator of the ship, announced on Monday that they would conclude the current tour one day earlier than planned and arrange for the passengers' return to Australia, according to reports from the public broadcaster.
For approximately two decades, Coral Expeditions has been conducting tours to Papua New Guinea, offering travelers unique experiences in this beautiful region. However, Morobe's provincial governor, Rainbo Paita, pointed out that the vessel had taken a route not typically used by local operators, emphasizing that the reef in that area is known to be particularly treacherous due to its height.
As this situation unfolds, Coral Expeditions has been reached for further comments regarding the incident.
