Xuelong to try and free itself from the ice

A Chinese icebreaker stuck in the Antarctic has cleared a path through the ice one kilometer in length.

The deputy director of the Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, says the vessel will use the channel to pick up as much speed as possible in order to free itself from the ice. The team, which has enough water to last them a month, is now waiting for favorable weather conditions.

The Xuelong became trapped in ice after helping in the rescue of passengers of a Russian research ship. On Sunday morning, the US sent its own icebreaker, the Polar Star, to assist Xuelong and the Russian vessel.