Rogue Wave hits cruise ship, killing passenger

Four other passengers were injured after an unpredictable large wave hit the ship, which was heading for Antarctica, Viking Cruises said.< /p>

A cruise ship passenger died and four others were injured after an unexpected large wave hit a cruise ship heading for a launch point popular for Antarctic expeditions, Viking Cruises said.

The ship, Viking Polaris, was hit by a "rogue wave" at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday. local time while traveling to Ushuaia, Argentina, which is at the southern tip of South America, Viking Cruises said in a statement. killed or provide the name or nationality of the passenger. The four injured passengers were treated by onboard medical personnel and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Viking Cruises said.

The rogue waves are unpredictable, usually twice as large as the surrounding waves and often coming from a different direction than the surrounding wind and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these unusual waves form.

Ann Mah, of Topeka, Kansas, told news station WIBW that she and her husband were on the ship when he was hit by the wave and it was "like your whole house had been rocked really hard."

"I mean, it was just a thud,” Ms. Mah said.

The Viking Polaris was launched this year and was designed to travel to remote destinations such as the Antarctic Peninsula.The ship is 665 feet long and can carry 378 passengers and 256 crew.

The ship suffered "limited damage" to because of the wave and arrived in Ushuaia the day after it hit, Viking Cruises said.

The cruise line has canceled the next scheduled voyage from u Viking Polaris, a 13-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula.

"We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities," the statement said. society.

Tourism in Antarctica has grown steadily over the past 30 years, with 74,401 people traveling there in the 2019-20 season, according to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators. According to the association, around 6,700 people traveled there during the 1992-93 season.

In recent years, some observers have warned that increased tourism may not be sustainable and could threaten visitor safety or disrupt the fragile environment, already strained by the effects of climate change.

C t is the start of the tourist season in Antarctica, which coincides with its summer, which begins in late October or early November and usually lasts until March.

Death on the Viking Cruises ship this week comes after two other passenger cruise ships died in Antarctica last month. Two passengers on the Quark Expeditions cruise ship have died after one of the ship's heavy inflatable Zodiac boats overturned near shore, Seatrade Cruise News reported.