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| Chinese rescue ship Xue Long trapped in Antarctic after rescuing scientist and tourists from a Russian ship |
Shanghai : The Chinese icebreaker which was sent to rescue scientist and tourists in Antarctica is now trapped in ice itself after failing to maneuver, according to authorities on Saturday.
The Chinese icebreaker, Xue Long, reported Friday that i was having trouble moving in ice just after its helicopter ferried about 52 people who were stuck for a week on a Russian research ship nearby, about 1500 nautical miles south of Australia.
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| Chinese helicopter in rescue operation |
In a statement on Saturday, Australian Maritime Safety Administration said that Chinese rescue vessel, Xue Long, is "beset by ice".
It is not clear whether the Xue Long was stuck due to its mounting for several days on same place after failed attempt to cut through the ice to reach the Russian research ship Shakalskiy, or it is facing some other technical problem.
Australian Maritime Safety Adminstration (AMSA) quoting the master of the Chinese ship has confirmed that the vessel was safe and was not in immediate distress and did not require assistance as the ship has food supplies for several weeks.