All is set to fight oil spill

2005-06-08 18:02

East London - The SA Maritime Safety Authority has put in contingency plans in case of an oil spill from the bulk carrier Kiperousa, aground by the stern off the Eastern Cape coast.

While the ship was awaiting a salvage tanker from Cape Town, logistics were being put in place should estuaries need to be closed off because of an oil spill, said National Ports Authority spokesperson Terry Taylor.

Taylor said this was in preparation for a "worst-case scenario".

The salvor presumably would pump fuel off the ship to make it as light as possible and try to float the vessel out to sea where further repairs could take place.

A rescue operation was launched on Tuesday when a mayday signal was put out by the vessel after it apparently struck an object about two nautical miles offshore, south of Hamburg.

It was not clear what the ship was lodged on, but it could be a rock, said Taylor.

Salvage teams flown in

An environment-watch vessel also was monitoring possible pollution risks.

Most of the crew were transferred to a rescue vessel and taken to land, with a skeleton crew from the vessel and salvage teams flown in from Cape Town and Durban to try to get her moving again.

However, poor weather hampered efforts and the team could not get closer because of the sea swell.

By Wednesday morning, the crew of 25 and salvors were in East London waiting for a larger salvage tanker to arrive from Cape Town. She was expected by Wednesday evening.

The Malta-registered vessel was sailing from Gabon to Durban.

- SAPA