US passenger killed, 4 injured when big wave hits Antarctic cruise ship

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A U.S. woman was killed and four other passengers injured when a massive wave struck the Viking Polaris cruise ship while it was sailing toward the port of Ushuaia in southern Argentina on an Antarctic cruise, authorities said.

The 62-year-old woman was hit by broken glass when the wave broke cabin windows late Tuesday during a storm, Argentine authorities said. The ship suffered limited damage and arrived in Ushuaia, 1,926 miles (3100 kilometers) south of Buenos Aires, the next day.

ā€œIt is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident,ā€ Viking said in statement. ā€œWe have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies.ā€

Neither the statement nor the Argentine Naval Prefecture identified the woman or her hometown.

Viking called it a ā€œrogue wave incidentā€ and said the four other passengers’ injuries were non-life threatening.

The cruise ship was anchored near Ushuaia, where a federal court has opened a case to determine what happened.

The company indicated on its website that to explore remote regions of the world they have ā€œtwo purpose-built, state-of-the-art small expedition-class ships: Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris.ā€

The Viking Polaris, a vessel that has luxury facilities and was built in 2022, has capacity for 378 passengers and 256 crew members.


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