A cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew on board ran aground in northwest Greenland and remained stuck even after high tide.
Commander Brian Jensen of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said no one on board was in danger and no damage had been reported, but added that officials were “taking this incident very seriously.”
“Our units are far away and the weather can be very unfavorable,” he said in a statement.
The nearest Danish navy ship is about 1,200 nautical miles (1,380 miles or 2,200 km) away, he said, adding it was on its way to the scene and could be expected at the stranded ship as early as Friday.
The 104-meter (343-foot) long, 18-meter-wide Ocean Explorer ran aground in Alpefjord in northeast Greenland National Park on Monday. It is the largest and northernmost national park in the world and is known for icebergs and musk oxen that roam the coast.
The Norwegian ship, flying the Bahamas flag, belongs to the Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, southern Norway.
Authorities have been in contact with another cruise ship in the area and have been asked to remain nearby to assist if the situation develops. The other cruise ship was not identified.
The stranded cruise ship could also free itself at high tide, reported Greenlandic television KNR. “Still, the most important thing for us is that everyone stays safe,” said Jensen.
Later on Tuesday, the Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page that the ship was still stuck despite the high tide.
“There are still no reports that human lives or the environment are in acute danger,” it said.
The Joint Arctic Command’s primary mission is to ensure Danish sovereignty by policing the area surrounding the Faroe Islands and Greenland, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish Empire.