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The
236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12
nautical miles off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and was listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ). (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
WELLINGTON,
Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's shipping authorities have cordoned off a
Liberian-flagged container ship that has grounded on a reef off the east of the
North Island as they attempt to assess whether it poses an environmental risk.
The
236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical miles
off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and was
listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
None of the
25 crew aboard the 47,000-tonne vessel were reported injured, it said.
A light
sheen of oil was visible around the ship, but it was thought to be hydraulic
oil from the engine and was not considered "a significant environmental
risk at this point," it said.
MNZ had
activated its Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT) of experts to provide
technical advice and oversight.
MNZ's
25-strong National Response Team of oil spill specialists was setting up a
command center in Tauranga, and would lead the response in the event of a significant
spill from the ship.
MIRT
incident controller Renny van der Velde said the plans being put in place by
the oil spill response team would form a safety net in the event of any spilled
oil.
"While
the aim is to remove the vessel with no oil spilled, it is important to have
contingency plans in place in case something goes wrong."
The vessel
owner -- reported to be the Israel-based Ofer Brothers Group, one of the
world's largest private shipping firms - - was responsible for coordinating a
salvage plan.
MNZ was
also working with wildlife experts from Massey University and the Department of
Conservation, which advised there were no immediate concerns for marine life,
to prepare for any possible spill.
An MNZ
maritime safety inspector aboard the vessel had assessed the damage and advised
that the ship had several breaches to the hull, affecting cargo holds on the
port side.
The ship
was on a 10-degree list, but was stable on the reef, and fuel in tanks on the
port side was being transferred to the starboard side as a precautionary
measure, said the MNZ statement.
Pumps were
working remove water from the cargo holds.
The ship's
captain was in discussion with the ship's owner and salvage experts to assess
how best to move the ship off the reef, but a decision was expected to take
"some time."
The local
Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff has ordered a 1- kilometer exclusion zone
around the vessel, which was fully laden.
Tauranga
harbour master Carl Magazinovic he had received reports of "sightseeing
vessels" near the grounded ship, potentially causing safety issues and
disrupting response efforts.
"This
situation is expected to continue for some time so we will be monitoring
movement of vessels around the area, and anyone found breaching the exclusion
zone could face a fine of up to 20, 000 NZ dollars (15,220 U.S. dollars),"
said Magazinovic.
Michael
Hodgins of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the 21-year-old
Rena, told Radio New Zealand it was carrying timber, milk powder, meat and
fish.
He said the
crew would have been familiar with the route it was taking, which started in
Singapore and included ports in Australia as well as New Zealand before heading
back to Sydney, a journey usually taking about six weeks.
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The
236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical
miles
off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday
and was
listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
|
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