This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/world/stuck-ships-break-free-near-antarctica.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Stuck Ships Break Free Near Antarctica Stuck Ships Break Free Near Antarctica
(35 minutes later)
Two ships immobilized by ice floes near Antarctica broke free on Tuesday, news agencies reported. The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long was trapped Friday after using its helicopter to evacuate 52 passengers from a Russian research ship, the Akademik Shokalskiy, that had been icebound since mid-December. The BBC reported Tuesday that shifting winds had opened a path for the ship to free itself. Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, reported Tuesday evening that the Xue Long was also working its way out of the pack ice a short distance away. At the request of Australian maritime authorities last week, a United States Coast Guard icebreaker has been making its way toward the two ships, but was still several days away. Two ships immobilized by ice floes near Antarctica broke free on Tuesday, news agencies reported. The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long was trapped Friday after its helicopter evacuated 52 passengers from a Russian research ship, the Akademik Shokalskiy, that had been icebound since mid-December. The BBC reported Tuesday that shifting winds had opened a path for the research ship to free itself. Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, reported Tuesday evening that the Xue Long was also working its way out of the pack ice a short distance away. At the request of Australian maritime authorities last week, a United States Coast Guard icebreaker has been making its way toward the two ships, but was still several days away.