Stranded ship: Salvage begins

2003-08-19 21:18

Cape Town - Two of the four tugs trying to refloat the container ship Sealand Express stranded in Table Bay had cables attached to it, Cape Town's port authority said on Tuesday night.

The refloating attempt was proceeding, but there was no certainty whether the attempt would succeed.

Earlier in the evening the Smit Marine salvage tug John Ross joined three other tugs, including a Russian vessel, off Sunset Beach, Milnerton.

A helicopter was used to take lines to the Sealand Express, and the attempt began at high tide, at 20:00.

There were no further developments, the port authority source said.

Asked earlier whether there was any danger of the ship breaking up, he said it was difficult to say.

"I've just come back from the ship and she looks fine," he said.

The ship's operators in the United States have not been reachable for comment.

The ship, which has 1 037 containers on board, went aground at 06:30 after apparently dragging her anchor.

Sapa has been told that port control repeatedly warned the vessel that it was heading for danger.

The crew are still aboard the vessel, which is on a sandy bottom.

- SAPA