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The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ). (Xinhua/ReutersPhoto) |
WELLINGTON,Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's shipping authorities have cordoned off aLiberian-flagged container ship that has grounded on a reef off the east of theNorth Island as they attempt to assess whether it poses an environmental risk.
The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
None of the25 crew aboard the 47,000-tonne vessel were reported injured, it said.
A lightsheen of oil was visible around the ship, but it was thought to be hydraulicoil from the engine and was not considered "a significant environmentalrisk at this point," it said.
MNZ hadactivated its Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT) of experts to providetechnical advice and oversight.
MNZ's25-strong National Response Team of oil spill specialists was setting up acommand center in Tauranga, and would lead the response in the event of a significantspill from the ship.
MIRTincident controller Renny van der Velde said the plans being put in place bythe oil spill response team would form a safety net in the event of any spilledoil.
"Whilethe aim is to remove the vessel with no oil spilled, it is important to havecontingency plans in place in case something goes wrong."
The vesselowner -- reported to be the Israel-based Ofer Brothers Group, one of theworld's largest private shipping firms - - was responsible for coordinating asalvage plan.
MNZ wasalso working with wildlife experts from Massey University and the Department ofConservation, which advised there were no immediate concerns for marine life,to prepare for any possible spill.
An MNZmaritime safety inspector aboard the vessel had assessed the damage and advisedthat the ship had several breaches to the hull, affecting cargo holds on theport side.
The shipwas on a 10-degree list, but was stable on the reef, and fuel in tanks on theport side was being transferred to the starboard side as a precautionarymeasure, said the MNZ statement.
Pumps wereworking remove water from the cargo holds.
The ship'scaptain was in discussion with the ship's owner and salvage experts to assesshow best to move the ship off the reef, but a decision was expected to take"some time."
The localBay of Plenty Regional Council staff has ordered a 1- kilometer exclusion zonearound the vessel, which was fully laden.
Taurangaharbour master Carl Magazinovic he had received reports of "sightseeingvessels" near the grounded ship, potentially causing safety issues anddisrupting response efforts.
"Thissituation is expected to continue for some time so we will be monitoringmovement of vessels around the area, and anyone found breaching the exclusionzone could face a fine of up to 20, 000 NZ dollars (15,220 U.S. dollars),"said Magazinovic.
MichaelHodgins of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the 21-year-oldRena, told Radio New Zealand it was carrying timber, milk powder, meat andfish.
He said thecrew would have been familiar with the route it was taking, which started inSingapore and included ports in Australia as well as New Zealand before headingback to Sydney, a journey usually taking about six weeks.
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The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ). (Xinhua/ReutersPhoto) |
