Stricken ship off SA coast

CAPE TOWN – Salvage experts began pumping fuel from the tanks of a stricken bulk carrier off South Africa’s west coast yesterday, to avert an environmental disaster should the ship sink.

The fate of the 150 000-ton Taiwanese-registered Cape Africa remains in the balance after heavy seas delayed for three days efforts to transfer 1 900 tons of fuel to a waiting salvage tug. Local shipping authorities fear the vessel, which was transporting iron-ore from Brazil to Japan, may sink after it started taking on water two weeks ago through a hole.The hole has now grown to 20 metres wide and between five and seven metres high.The South African Marine Safety Authority (SAMSA) said in a statement salvage workers began pumping fuel from the carrier to a Russian tug yesterday.”A pumping rate of approximately 50 tons per hour is currently being achieved and the operation will continue day and night, weather and swell conditions permitting,” SAMSA said.The ship is to be kept at least 120 nautical miles west of Cape Town until all the fuel that can be pumped out has been removed so as to minimise possible environmental damage.The last major oil slick off South Africa’s west coast was in 2000 when thousands of penguins died and thousands more were rescued from oil leaking from the sunken bulk carrier Treasure.- Nampa-ReutersLocal shipping authorities fear the vessel, which was transporting iron-ore from Brazil to Japan, may sink after it started taking on water two weeks ago through a hole.The hole has now grown to 20 metres wide and between five and seven metres high.The South African Marine Safety Authority (SAMSA) said in a statement salvage workers began pumping fuel from the carrier to a Russian tug yesterday.”A pumping rate of approximately 50 tons per hour is currently being achieved and the operation will continue day and night, weather and swell conditions permitting,” SAMSA said.The ship is to be kept at least 120 nautical miles west of Cape Town until all the fuel that can be pumped out has been removed so as to minimise possible environmental damage.The last major oil slick off South Africa’s west coast was in 2000 when thousands of penguins died and thousands more were rescued from oil leaking from the sunken bulk carrier Treasure.- Nampa-Reuters