The passenger ship Adolf Jensen ran aground and sank off Nanortalik in southern Greenland last week. All passengers and crew members managed to evacuate and are safe. However, there are concerns about a possible leak of engine oil and diesel.
The Greenlandic passenger ship Adolf Jensen, owned by the company 60 North, ran aground on a skerry near Nanortalik in southern Greenland in the early morning of September 19 and sank a few hours later. The 30-meter-long ship, which according to the 60 North website was chartered out as a hotel ship, had room for 12 passengers. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, as everyone managed to evacuate. It is not known how many people were on board at the time of the accident.
According to the press release issued by the Greenland police on September 19, the Adolf Jensen was on its way to Qaqortoq when it ran aground on the skerry at around 01:45 and began to take on water. At 03:09 the authorities received a report of the accident and at 07:05 the ship sank completely. The exact cause of the accident is not yet known and is being investigated by the relevant authorities.
The Adolf Jensen had between 15,000 and 20,000 liters of diesel and around 1,000 liters of engine oil on board and there is great concern about a possible spill. The local fire department took appropriate measures: “To prevent pollution, an oil barrier was placed in a circle with a diameter of around 50 meters around the sunken ship. The barrier also extends 50 cm into the water,” states the police press release.
According to the news platform Sermitsiaq, several authorities are involved in the work on the shipwreck, including the police, the rescue services and the Danish Maritime Authority’s Department of Environment and Civil Protection.
The small town of Nanortalik with a population of around 1,200 people is located on Nanortalik island at the entrance to the approximately 70-kilometer-long Tasermiut Fjord. Numerous seabirds and various seal species such as ringed seals, harp seals and hooded seals live around the island. Between August and October, minke whales are often seen near the mouth of the Tasermiut Fjord and humpback whales and orcas are also spotted occasionally.
60 North is a company based in Qaqortoq that offers a wide range of services. These include the chartering of boats of various sizes, the rental of hotel apartments and logistics services, e.g. in mining and the shipping of freight and machinery.
Neither the Greenlandic police nor the company 60 North have responded to Polar Journal AG ‘s requests for information on the cause of the accident and the current situation.
Julia Hager, Polar Journal AG
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