A Chilean navy vessel has evacuated all 89 passengers of various nationalities from an Argentine cruise ship that ran aground in Antarctica.
They were taken off the cruise liner Ciudad de Ushuaia, which got stuck yesterday in Wilhelmina Bay - part of the Antarctic peninsula that reaches towards the southern tip of South America.
The cruise ship hit a rock yesterday, putting a hole in a fuel tank. The slick is being contained by a series of floating barriers. A Chilean tug boat has also been sent to help contain the pollution.
Argentine authorities said the passengers and 33 crew members were all unhurt and the vessel is in no danger of sinking.
Irish citizens had been onboard the ship, along with people from Australia, Belgium, Britain, China, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
The passengers are being taken to Chile's Eduardo Frei base in Antarctica's Fildes Peninsula to the north.
The ship's crew has remained on board their vessel to carry out salvage actions.
The grounded cruise ship was used for tourist trips around the Antarctic - an increasingly popular activity in the southern hemisphere's warmer months.
