Berlin: A polar bear has been killed after attacking a guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago.

The polar bear was shot dead by another employee, the cruise company said.

Authorities search the coastline on Saturday, July 28, after a polar bear attacked and injured a polar bear guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship on the Svalbard archipelago between Norway and the North Pole. Credit:AP

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination for Northern Norway tweeted that the attack occurred when the tourists from the MS Bremen cruise ship landed on the most northern island of the Svalbard archipelago, a region between mainland Norway and the North Pole that is known for its remote terrain, glaciers, reindeer and polar bears.