xuelong.jpg (Photo : www.qingdaonews.com)
After rescuing all the 52 passengers of the stranded Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy, China's icebreaker Xuelong is now the one being trapped by heavy floes in Antarctica.
Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, played a huge part in the rescue of the Russian passengers who were stranded for 19 days when the ocean turned to ice, by sending in its onboard helicopter, the Xueying 12.
The official Xinhua News Agency said that moments after the rescue operation, the Chinese vessel failed to move out of its location because of the one-kilometer-long iceberg that blocked its way. The huge iceberg has been drifting toward the northwest part of Antarctica and is seen moving as close as 2.22 kilometers from the Snow Dragon.
The ship's captain, Wang Jianzhong, said he will have to wait for the giant iceberg to drift away before manuevering Xuelong. He added that the tidal conditions of the area where the vessel is positioned is very complex. The Chinese icebreaker attempted to maneuver through the ice Saturday morning but the attempts turned out unsuccessful.
The ship's captain, however, said the Chinese icebreaker is safe, is not in distress, and does not require any assistance. Maritime authorities monitoring Antarctica also said there is no immediate danger to personnel aboard the Chinese vessel.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was briefed about the situation of Xuelong immediately ordered an all-out effort to ensure the safety of the crewmembers on board.
Last Thursday, Xuelong sent its onboard helicopter, the Xueying 12, to rescue 52 passengers, composed of scientist, tourists, and journalists, from the stranded Russian vessel. The vessel was on an expedition, to follow the footsteps of a famous expedition made in 1911, but got trapped in the iceberg.
The Xueying helicopter made six trips to the Russian vessel to successfully carry out the rescue. The 22 crewmembers of the Akademik Shokalskiy, however, decided to stay in the vessel.
