BBC China can't be salvaged

2004-10-26 08:37

Cape Town - It will be impossible to salvage the stricken cargo ship, the BBC China, from where she was grounded at Port Grosvenor off the Wild Coast, Die Burger reported on Tuesday.

Captain William Dernier, industrial manager of the maritime safety authority in Cape Town, said the ship's bottom was breaking up slowly. She was stuck fast and it wouldn't be possible to salvage her.

He said oil was being pumped from the air ducts in the ship's engine room tanks, as the engine room was flooded.

Meanwhile, the department of environmental affairs said that oil and cargo transfer operations were being carried out in earnest, I-Net Bridge reported.

Spokesperson Carol Moses said: "A total of 25 tons of oil has been transferred from the grounded BBC China so far.

"The salvors have also commenced with the cargo transfer operation and offloaded more than three tons of cargo today [Tuesday]."

The vessel carries about 2 800 tons of cargo. Of this, 9.5 tons comprises of batteries, paint and bottles of carbon dioxide.

Moses said: "The cargo does not pose any threat to communities or the marine and coastal environment."

The progress of the salvage operations was subject to weather conditions.

The department's marine pollution team was expected to complete the oil clean-up operation along the coast within the next two days.

Moses said the department's standard precautionary response measures remained in place.

The estuary at the Msikaba River near the stricken vessel remained closed.

Kuswag I, an anti-pollution patrol vessel, remained on standby and was monitoring the situation closely.

Moses said the department's anti-pollution patrol aircraft, Kuswag VIII, was surveying the surrounding marine environment from the air.

The department was receiving daily reports from the maritime safety authority and the salvage company, Smit Marine, and would issue regular updates on the status of the clean-up.

The vessel was on its way to Durban when it was grounded.

- News24