Sunken ship tourists reach Chile
Passengers from sunken M/S Explorer leave King George Island for Chile
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Sunday, 25, Nov 2007 08:35
Passengers and crew onboard the M/S Explorer that sank after hitting an iceberg have arrived in Chile.
The shipwrecked tourists were taken from King George Island, where they stayed after being rescued from their listing ship, to the South American city of Punta Arenas on a military plane.
The Chilean air force evacuated the passengers and crew rescued from the ship, which had been on a 19-day cruise along the Danco coast of Antarctica, in two separate trips
A total of 24 Britons were among the 154 passengers and crew on board the vessel which sunk on Friday.
The M/S Explorer hit an iceberg in the Bransfield Strait off King George's Island, Antarctica, creating a hole reportedly the size of a fist.
It quickly began filling with water and developed a list, which by late afternoon had reached around 40 degrees.
Everyone onboard abandoned the vessel and took to lifeboats. They were then picked up the NordNorge cruise ship, one of two vessels that arrived at the scene.