One dead, four injured after rogue wave hits cruise ship off Argentina

Viking Polaris (Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Rodrigo Freitas)

US and Argentine news outlets have reported that one passenger was killed and another four suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a cruise ship was struck by a large wave off the southern coast of Argentina on Tuesday, November 29.

Reports stated that Viking Cruises’ Norwegian-flagged expedition ship Viking Polaris was underway off Ushuaia some 3,200 kilometres south of Buenos Aires when it was hit by what has been described as a rogue wave.

No details have yet been provided on the exact cause of the death of the lone fatality, though a number of guests said the impact broke some of the ship’s windows.

The four injured passengers have since been treated by the ship’s embarked medical staff.

A Viking representative confirmed that the company has already notified the family of the deceased guest and is offering assistance. Viking also said it is “investigating the facts surrounding the incident.”


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