70 Wisatawan Terperangkap Es di Antartika
Tourist Ship Gets Trapped in Ice as 70 People in Antartica
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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WISATAWAN di kapal pesiar terperangkap es di Antartika dan terpaksa menghabiskan liburan Natal dengan saling menghibur sesama penumpang setelah mengetahui penyelamatan butuh waktu beberapa hari.
Kapal buatan Rusia, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, mengangkut sekitar 50 penumpang dan 20, mereka semua merasa frustasi tapi kondisinya dinyatakan aman.
Kapal es ini dibangun pada 1982, pada awalnya digunakan untuk penelitian oseanografi sebelum diperbaharui sebagai kapal penumpang di Kutub Utara dan Antartika, seperti dilansir Mail Online.
Otoritas Keselamatan Maritim Australia, yang sekarang mengendalikan operasi penyelamatan, menerima panggilan darurat Rabu dini hari (25/12) mengatakan bahwa kapal itu terjebak dalam es tebal dan harus dibantu untuk keluar dari es.
Sampai kapal penyelamat tiba, tidak diketahui apakah para penumpang harus dievakuasi dari kapal dan pindah ke kapal yang lebih besar.
Hal itu tidak bisa segera diketahui berapa lama kapal terperangkap, dikepung oleh gumpalan es.
Seorang juru bicara untuk otoritas keamanan mengatakan kepada Australia Associated Press bahwa tiga kapal sedang dalam perjalanan menuju kapal wisata yang terperangkap.
Namun upaya penyelamatan itu membutuhkan waktu setidaknya dua hari sebelum kapal terdekat akan mencapai lokasi terpencil, sekitar 1.500 mil laut selatan dari Hobart.
"Ini adalah kawasan yang paling terpencil di dunia," kata juru bicara itu. "Tapi kami meyakini semua penumpang aman. Kondisi kapal pun dinyatakan aman."
Juru bicara itu mengatakan, kapal itu pada melakukan ekspedisi penelitian untuk memperingati seratus tahun eksplorasi geologi Australia, Douglas Mawson di Antartika.
Kapal mengunjungi sejumlah situs di sepanjang tepi Antartika.
Kebangsaan para wisatawan belum terungkap, tetapi mereka diketahui sebagian besar adalah para ilmuwan dan penjelajah.
Seorang penumpang berhasil mengirimkan pesan melalui Twitter.
Chris Turney, dari Australasian Antarctic Expedition, menulis: ´Heavy ice. Beautiful; light wind. Only -1degC. All well. Merry Xmas everyone from AAE.´
TOURIST on board a cruise ship trapped in ice in Antarctica spent Christmas day consoling one another after learning that rescue was several days away.
The Russian-built ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, has about 50 passengers and 20 crew members on board but apart from frustrations all were said to be safe.
The ice-strengthened ship, built in 1982, was originally used for oceanographic research before being refurbished to be used as a passenger vessel in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Australia´s Maritime Safety Authority, which is now controlling the rescue operation, received a distress call early today saying that the vessel was trapped in thick ice and would need help to move.
Until rescue vessels arrive, it will not be known whether the passengers would have to be taken off the ship and moved out of the area on larger vessels.
It was not immediately known how long the ship has been trapped, surrounded by ice floes.
A spokeswoman for the safety authority told Australia´s Associated Press that three ships were on their way to the stricken vessel.
But it will be at least two days before the nearest ship will be able to reach the remote location, some 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart.
´It is quite a remote part of the world,´ said the spokesman. ´But we have everyone safe. The vessel isn´t in any immediate danger.´
The spokeswoman said the ship was on a research expedition to commemorate the centenary of Australian geologist Douglas Mawson´s exploration of Antarctica.
The vessel was visiting a number of sites along the edge of Antarctica.
The nationalities of the tourists have not been revealed, but they are known to include scientists and explorers.
One has managed to send a tweet.
Chris Turney, of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, wrote: ´Heavy ice. Beautiful; light wind. Only -1degC. All well. Merry Xmas everyone from AAE.´
