Cruise ship with 120 onboard runs aground at Dreghafen point

An Australian-registered cruise ship carrying more than 120 people has run aground on coral reefs at Dreghafen Point in Morobe Province, triggering an emergency maritime response and an investigation into possible environmental damage.

Police in Morobe confirmed that the vessel, Coral Adventurer, owned by Australian company Coral Expeditions, became grounded early yesterday morning while transiting through Finschhafen District en route to Madang and the Sepik.

According to the Morobe Provincial Police Commander’s Office, the Lae Water Police received the incident report and confirmed the grounding occurred at about 5:30am after the vessel encountered strong sea currents near Dreghafen Point.

The ship, captained by George Korovytsky, had departed Cairns, Australia, and was navigating PNG waters when it struck the reef.

A Lae Water Police team responded and arrived at the scene at around 11:30am, accompanied by an officer from the National Maritime Safety Authority [NMSA].

Police said a full inspection of the vessel was conducted, with ship documentation verified and safety checks carried out onboard.

Following the inspection, the NMSA officer issued a ship grounding permit and confirmed that a specialised NMSA investigation team will attend the site today to assess the extent of damage to the vessel’s hull and the surrounding marine environment.

The Coral Adventurer is carrying a total of 120 people, including 80 passengers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, two passengers from Israel, and 44 crew members.

For safety and security, three Water Police officers have remained onboard the vessel until it is cleared to resume its voyage.

Authorities say further updates will be provided once investigations determine whether the grounding caused structural damage to the ship or harm to the coral reefs at Dreghafen Point.