Australian-flagged cruise ship Coral Adventurer remains stuck on the coast of Papua New Guinea after running into a reef early Saturday morning, with Australian authorities detaining the vessel over seaworthiness concerns and safety management failures.
The 93.4-meter passenger vessel grounded on a reef near Dregerhafen Point, approximately 90 kilometres from Lae, PNG, at around 0525 local time. The ship was carrying 123 people, 80 passengers and 43 crew when the incident occurred.
Papua New Guinea’s national broadcaster NBC, reported that local police confirmed the vessel encountered strong sea currents while en route to Madang Province and the Sepik River. Authorities are also inspecting the area for potential damage to coral reefs at Dregerhafen Point.