Tourists from a ship look for a place to disembark from a boat at the Antartic
Evacuees from stricken Antarctic ship safe: coastguard
LONDON (AFP) — Passengers and crew evacuated from a sinking cruiseliner were being picked up from their lifeboats after another cruise ship arrived on the scene, a coastguard spokesman said Friday.
The rescue vessel, another cruise ship called the "Endeavour," steamed to help after the "MV Explorer" hit an iceberg off the Argentinian coast near the South Shetland Islands, said Falmouth coastguard spokesman Fred Caygill.
"The 'Endeavour' is on the scene and is now taking them on board. All persons are accounted for," told Sky News television.
The captain of the "Explorer", first officer and a number of other crew members had remained on board and were trying to deal with water entering the vessel, he added.
"It's too early to say at this stage whether it will actually sink...but it is taking some ingress of water," he said. Another spokesman earlier said the ship was listing at 25 degrees.
The "Endeavour" was another small cruise liner, he said, adding that other ships were also heading for the scene after being alerted by the distress call.
Asked if the vessel could have hit an iceberg, the spokesman said: "We were informed that it struck something ... obviously with the terrain that it's in, it's quite possible."
A Chilean navy captain later told CNN television that the ship had struck an iceberg.
Weather in the area is relatively good, with the Antarctic heading from late spring into summer. The average temperature is about minus five degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit), he said.
"It's not too inclement weather," he said.
The ''MS Nordnorge'', the cruise ship to which ''Explorer'''s passengers and crew have been transferred.
All passengers and crew from the stricken Canadian cruise ship ''MS Explorer'' are safe. Since broadcasting a call for help at approximately 05:24 UTC, a number of vessels in the area have raced to rescue her 156 passengers and crew. Four vessels led by the cruise ship the ''Endeavour'' were the first to arrive and pick up the evacuees from lifeboats and RIBs, later being transferred to the Norwegian ship, ''MS Nordnorge''.

In less than one hour all passengers and crew, said to be cold but in good health, were safely transferred to the ''Nordnorge'', and that vessel is now heading towards King George Island, three or four hours steaming away. Speaking on the BBC's News 24, the captain of the ''Nordnorge'' said that he was heading for the Chilean research station, from where it is expected that all can be flown back to the South American mainland.

Off the South Shetland Islands the ship struck an underwater object (believed to be a submerged iceberg ) the Explorer developed a fist sized crack and began taking on water. Initially said to be listing to starboard at 25° the Argentine Coast Guard reports that the list has since increased to 45° and the vessel is expected to sink soon. Concerns now turn to possible environmental concerns and damage. 

The rescue effort was an international affair involving the coast guards of Argentina, USA, Chile and the UK. The UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency received notification from the US Coast Guard between 5.30-6.00 asking for the ''Explorer'''s emergency data plans.