No risk as yet to the thousands on board
A large Norwegian cruise ship has run aground off the Dominican Republic’s north coast shortly after leaving the port of Puerto Plata.
Officials in the Caribbean island have confirmed the incident with information suggesting that the vessel, the Norwegian Escape, has some 3,000 tourists and 1,600 crew on board. The ship remains aground in Taino Baym, Puerto Plata.
It has been reported that representatives from different government authorities have been at the site with the aim of working with the crew and for the ship to continue on its course. Passengers posted pictures of the incident on social media, showing tug boats alongside the ship. There were no reports of damage.
“For the moment, there is no risk for passengers or crew members,” explained Vice Admiral Ramon Gustavo Betances Hernandez, who told the local media on Monday that the ship had run aground due to “strong 30 knot winds”.
High tide cause for running aground
According to him, “the tide in this area rises about one metre (three feet) at four in the morning (08:00 GMT). We think that, with the high tide, we can get the boat out of its current position”.
He advised that tugs had already been working in vain to free the vessel.
The Vice Admiral stated that additional tugs would soon be arriving to help in the effort. The Norwegian Escape was on its way to the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, before making its way to The Bahamas.
According to the US-based Norwegian Cruise Line’s website, the Norwegian Escape is nearly 326 metres long (1,070 feet) and weighs 165,000 tonnes.
It can accommodate as many as 4,200 passengers and 1,700 crew members. The Norwegian Escape, one of the cruise line’s biggest, was built in Germany and delivered in 2015.
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