Australia’s most powerful icebreaker Aurora Australis remains aground in Antarctica near Mawson station.
Around 3.15pm on wednesday the vessel broke free from its mooring lines due to heavy snow storm and ran aground at West Arm in Horseshoe Harbour. The vessel is expected to carry 67 expeditioners and crew. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is working closely to rescue the vessel. AAD says that the blizzard is very hard that is it the biggest hinderance in the rescue.
Reports say that there has been a small breach of the hull which is being monitored. No injuries were reported. It is forecasted that the climate would ease by Thursday and expedition members would be transferred to Mawson research station if winds dropped below 55km/h (34mph).
The vessel left Hobart in Tasmania on 11 January and carried out marine science research around the Kerguelen Plateau, a submerged continent that extends for 2,200km (1,365 miles). The vessel had to reach Mawson Station, one of three Australian bases in the Australian Antarctic Territory of East Antarctica.
It would take a minimum of three days for the ship’s crew to complete a full assessment of the ship once the vessel is afloat again and attempts to return the ship to service will follow the completion of this assessment. It is unknown if the ship will be able to complete its original voyage, but the Antarctic Division says it has been working on a range of contingency plans.
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