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Endurance left powerless as sea floods in
HMS Endurance was today at the centre of a drama in the South Atlantic after she lost engine power.
The Antarctic patrol ship, based in Portsmouth, was in the Strait of Magellan off Chile when she suffered a flood in the engine room compartment.
Crew members rushed to stem the rapid flow of sea water, which is believed to have started after a mechanical failure.
Ten passengers – students on an expedition – had to be flown from the ship by a Chilean navy helicopter to a nearby lighthouse.
The Ministry of Defence said today that the ship's power and propulsion were still out, but the crew were safe. There was one minor injury.
An MoD spokesman said: 'The quick-thinking of the crew and their training stopped this serious incident escalating into something much worse.
'This is obviously an unfortunate incident but the company are working really hard and have had a lot of support.
'The flooding has now been contained and the ship is currently being held in safe water by her anchor in the Strait of Magellan.
'Our top priority is the safety of those on board.'
It's not known if the heating has been restored, but the ship is in the southern hemisphere where it is currently summer.
The Chilean tugboat Pudu was preparing to tow the Endurance to Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city if necessary.
The Norwegian Sun cruiser also sailed towards the stricken ship and was ready to offer help to the 122 people who remained on board, 14 of whom were civilians.
An investigation is under way into the exact cause of the incident.
Next of kin were being informed of the situation, the MoD added, and a helpline was set up for concerned relatives.
Mike Critchley, editor of Warship World, said: 'The rudder hangs off a post, a bit like a telegraph post but smaller, outside the hull and comes up through the ship and is given instructions through a hydraulic system.
'It seems as if the problem could have come from where it goes through the hull although I don't quite know how this would affect the engine.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
