Passengers to Be Flown Home After Cruise Ship Runs Aground Off Papua New Guinea

An Australian-registered cruise ship, the Coral Adventurer, ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) early Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 5:25 a.m. local time near Dregerhafen Point in Morobe Province, approximately 30 kilometers from Lae, PNG's second-largest city.

The vessel was carrying 80 passengers and 43 crew members at the time. All individuals on board were reported safe, with no injuries. Initial inspections indicated no damage to the ship's hull, and no environmental pollution was detected.

Efforts to refloat the Coral Adventurer using its own engines and a tugboat were unsuccessful. Consequently, the ship's operator, Coral Expeditions, decided to end the tour a day early and arrange for passengers to be flown back to Australia.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has initiated an investigation into the grounding. Data from the ship's voyage data recorder has been secured, and further inspections are planned once the vessel is refloated.

This incident follows a previous event in October involving the same vessel, where an 80-year-old passenger was found deceased on Lizard Island after being inadvertently left behind during an excursion. That incident is currently under investigation.