(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-23 20:27

LONDON - More than 150 passengers and crew took to lifeboats in Antarctic waters on Friday after their cruise ship hit an object and began to sink, Britain's Coast Guard said.

The passenger ship MV Explorer in this undated file photo made available from Museum of Uusikaupunki, Finland, which is reported to be sinking following a collision in Antarctic waters Friday Nov. 23, 2007. [Agencies]

No injuries were reported.

Evacuees from the explorer were boarding another cruise ship, Endeavor, near the South Shetland Islands and were expected to be transferred later to a larger ship, said Henry Purbrick, watch officer at the Coast Guard center in Falmouth, England.

The Explorer, carrying 100 passengers and 54 crew, was listing about 25 degrees at the last report, Purbrick said.

The ship was expected to sink, said Neil Oliver, also of the Falmouth station.

"We know she has hit something, and all the passengers are off on lifeboats. The last we heard was that the captain and first officer were remaining on board," Oliver said.

"They do expect her to go down shortly."

Coast Guard spokesman Mark Clark said that though there was a lot of ice in the area, the vessel was built to withstand ice.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was informed at 12:24 am EST of the incident involving the vessel.

The incident was reported near the South Shetland Islands and Graham Land, an Antarctic peninsula, the Coast Guard said.

Rescue centers in Norfolk, Va., and Ushuiia, Argentina, were taking charge of coordination, the Coast Guard said.