The Coral Adventurer, an Australian cruise ship that ran aground off Papua New Guinea on Saturday, has been detained by authorities over concerns it is unseaworthy. The vessel remains stuck on a reef near Lae, Papua New Guinea's second-largest city, as efforts to refloat it continue.
No injuries were reported among the 80 passengers and 43 crew. Passengers were due to return to Australia via a chartered flight to Cairns on Tuesday. Papua New Guinea's acting police commissioner, Samson Kua, confirmed formal detention orders were issued to keep the ship in PNG waters until all formalities are cleared.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) also detained the vessel under the Navigation Act 2012, citing reasonable suspicion it is not seaworthy due to potential damage from the grounding. A spokesperson said AMSA is working with the operator, Coral Expeditions, the vessel's classification society, and PNG's National Maritime Safety Authority.
Coral Expeditions has stated that initial inspections indicate no damage to the vessel, but further comprehensive inspections will be conducted once the ship is refloated. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation into the grounding, with a preliminary report expected in about two months.
Separately, the Coral Adventurer is under investigation for a previous incident in October, where an 80-year-old passenger, Suzanne Rees, died after allegedly being left behind on an excursion on Lizard Island.
