Salvors trying to tug off ship

2005-06-24 18:55

Port Elizabeth - Salvors have begun to pull on the bulk carrier, Kiperousa, stranded off the Eastern Cape coast, in an attempt to refloat the vessel by Friday evening, said the SA Maritime Authority (Samsa).

"We have begun pulling the Kiperousa this afternoon (Friday). We are hoping she comes off tonight," said Samsa spokesperson Peter Kroon.

"Once we refloat her, we will move the ship to Algoa Bay where the 8 000 logs it is carrying will be discharged. She will then be inspected and patched."

The Kiperousa - a 14 921-ton log-carrier - ran aground on a reef off Bhenga, south of Hamburg, in the Eastern Cape, two weeks ago while en route from Gabon to Durban to take on fuel oil.

The department of environmental affairs and tourism said the risk of marine pollution at the scene of the stranded Kiperousa, had been substantially minimised as an oil-transfer operation is nearing completion.

"The department's response team and an anti-pollution patrol vessel were monitoring the coastline for oil spillages daily," said spokesperson Carol Moses.

"Tugs continue to transfer dirty oil from the vessel and take it to East London, where it is pumped into railway tanker trucks at the quayside."

Aggeliki Stefanidi of salvage company Tsavliris, said the operation to refloat the ship was continuing and that it could take weeks to refloat the Kiperousa.

- SAPA