Cruise ship hits rocks for first time since leaving passengers on island

A cruise ship has run aground in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on its first voyage since the death of an elderly passenger in late October.

The Coral Adventurer is currently under investigation into the death of 80-year-old Suzanne Rees, who was abandoned by the ship on a remote Australian island.

The ship suffered a “grounding incident” on Saturday off the east coast of Papua New Guinea, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Lae, a spokesman for the ship said.

All passengers and crew on the cruise ship are reported to be safe, and initial inspections did not reveal any damage to the hull. Further inspections will be carried out on Sunday.

An Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC that they had not yet received a distress call from the Coral Adventurer.

It added that they were monitoring the situation and would support Papua New Guinea authorities if necessary.

No decision has been made yet on the 12-day voyage, which was originally scheduled to end on December 30.

There were 80 passengers and 43 crew members on board at the time of the incident. The 12-day voyage was originally scheduled to end on December 30.

The Coral Adventurer is currently the subject of a joint investigation by AMSA and Queensland PoliceOn October 26, passenger Suzanne Rees, 80, was found dead on Lizard Island.

Ms Rees had been hiking on the island with other passengers but later broke away from the group to rest.

The ship left without her and returned hours later when the crew realized the woman was missing.

Her body was discovered the next day during a massive search operation.

The ship had just begun a 60-day voyage when Ms Rees died. Remaining cruise itinerary canceled and offering full refunds to all passengers.

Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield said the company “deeply regrets that this situation has occurred” and offers its full support to the Reese family.

Fifield added that the cruise operator was “working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigations”.

AMSA was unable to comment on the progress of the investigation and told the BBC it had “no practice of making the findings public”.