The News

Australian Icebreaker Runs Aground in Antarctica

The News

The ship Aurora Australis sits moored in Antarctica's Horseshoe Harbour as it resupplies Mawson station in this undated file photo supplied by the Australian Antarctic Division February 24, 2016. According to a statement released Wednesday by the Australian Antarctic Division, the ship broke free of its mooring lines and has run aground during a blizzard with 67 expeditions and crew aboard. REUTERS/Justin Chambers-Australian Antarctic Division/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. IT IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

REUTERS

Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis has run aground in Antarctica while on a mission to resupply Mawson Station.

The ship broke free of its moorings during a blizzard on Wednesday morning, according to a statement from the Australian Antarctic Division.

None of the 67 expeditioners and crew on board on the ship, owned by P&O Maritime Services, were injured. The ship remains watertight, but poor weather has hampered a full assessment of the damage.

Winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour) were recorded by the automatic weather station at Mawson Station during the blizzard.

The Aurora Australis departed Hobart in early January to conduct research on the Kerguelen Plateau, an undersea geological formation. It arrived at Mawson on Saturday.

Ships travelling to and from Antarctica often face risky conditions. The Aurora Australis itself came to the rescue of Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy and its 52 crew in 2014.