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| The stranded cargo ship Rena broke into two pieces on Sunday after overnight storms pounded the vessel off Tauranga Harbor in New Zealand. The Greek-owned Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on North Island on Oct. 5, spewing heavy fuel oil into the sea in what has been called the country’s worst maritime environmental disaster. (AP Photo) |
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Wellington,
New Zealand. A cargo ship grounded off the New Zealand coast since October has
split in two, spilling sea containers and debris and sparking fears of a fresh
oil spill, maritime officials said on Sunday.
The wreck
of the Greek-owned Rena was described as New Zealand’s worst maritime
environmental disaster even before the rear section of the ship, lashed by
pounding seas, broke away overnight. The ship previously spilled heavy fuel oil
that fouled pristine North Island beaches and killed up to 20,000 seabirds, and
despite salvage efforts nearly 400 tons of oil remain onboard.
Maritime
officials said the front section of the wreck remained stuck in its original
position, but the stern section slipped at least 30 meters away from the bow
and is “moving significantly,” pounded by six-meter swells.
“There has
been a significant discharge of containers and container debris from the ship,”
said Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson.
Alex van
Wijngaarden, on-scene commander for the national response team, said oil could
come ashore around midnight on Sunday.
“While
reports at this stage indicate there has not been a significant release of oil,
with the Rena in its current fragile state, a further release is likely,” he
said. “While it is unknown at this stage exactly how much oil may be released,
teams have been mobilized and will be ready to respond to anything that may
come ashore.”
The
containers, meanwhile, spilled goods including timber and bags of milk powder.
Some
containers have been sighted floating up to 32 kilometers northwest of the
stricken ship, Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said.
“They have
been caught in a strong coastal current,” he said.
The Rena
ran aground on Astrolabe Reef 22 kilometers from Tauranga Harbor on North
Island on Oct. 5. Salvage crews have removed more than 1,100 tons of oil from
the stricken vessel but about 385 tons remain on board — about the same amount
that has already leaked into the sea.
The crews
have plucked 389 of the ship’s 1,370 loaded cargo containers from its decks
since it ran aground, while some 98 have been washed overboard in the past
three months.
At least 23
containers were lost from the ship when it broke apart, and more were likely to
be lost, said David Billington, a salvage unit manager for Maritime New
Zealand.
One
eyewitness, Warwick Roberts, said the rear section was sliding along the reef.
The “stern
has reared up and center section is not visible. Large breaking waves observed
on bow,” he told the New Zealand Herald Web site.
A
three-kilometer no-go zone is in force around the wreck.
Investigations
last month revealed that Australian authorities had impounded the vessel but
released it after Liberian maritime authorities intervened, essentially saying
the ship was safe to sail and the problems could be fixed later. The Rena, like
many ships, is registered in Liberia.
Some 10
weeks later, the Rena ran full-steam into a well-marked reef off the coast of
New Zealand. It’s not clear whether the previously identified problems played
any role.
Associated Press
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