Ice sinks cruise ship in Antarctic

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Argentinean officials say submerged ice punched a fist-sized hole in the hull of a cruise ship that sank in the Antarctic after all aboard were rescued.

The M/S Explorer, which struck ice Friday, was the second Antarctic cruise ship to be evacuated this year. In January, 370 people were rescued from a Norwegian ship, the Nordkapp, after it ran aground near the Shetland Islands, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

In all, 154 passengers and crew from the Explorer were rescued Friday before the 38-year-old ship went to the bottom during the middle of a 19-day voyage.

The Explorer was the first ship built to ferry tourists in the Antarctic and was designed with a hull that could withstand most ice, said Susan Hayes of Canada-based G.A.P. Adventures, which bought the Explorer three years ago.

Argentinean officials said the Explorer's hull showed significant damage but was punctured in a way that allowed it to sink slowly, enabling all aboard to reach life boats.