Sunken crago ship 'poses no oil threat'
There is no major oil leak threat from the sunken BBC China cargo vessel that ran aground off over the weekend, the South African maritime safety authority said today.
The general cargo ship was carrying 2,800 tons of sub-assembled steel equipment from Port of Spain, Trinidad, to Durban when it ran aground about 150 yards off Port Grosvenor on the Kwa Zulu Natal Wild Coast.
A rescue helicopter was called in early yesterday and 16 members of the mostly Ukrainian crew were airlifted to safety.
Captain Bill Dernier of the South African Maritime Safety Authority said reports the BBC China was carrying 2,000 tons of oil were false.
“She has leaked some oil, but nothing serious because there isn’t a lot of oil on board,” Dernier, the operations manager for the government agency responsible for pollution prevention and wreck removal said.
The 400-foot vessel was carrying 58 tons of heavy fuel, 60 tons of marine gas oil and 8 tons of lubrication oil.
“We will be able to move the oil off even though she has sunk and her engine room is open to the sea,” he said.
Salvagers will be able to reach the oil and cargo because of buoyancy caused by the tide and rocks the ship ran aground on.
