Rough Weather Prevents Salvage Teams From Accessing Grounded Ship off South Africa

Salvage teams strive to prevent pollution from a potential oil leak from a grounded vessel, the MV Ultra Galaxy managed by Ultrabulk.

It ran aground in a remote coastal region which lies northwest of Cape Town in South Africa.

The ship is beached on its side in Duiwegat which has a rocky landscape and sandy beaches.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) stated that salvage work was underway and teams were surveying the surroundings and the vessel.

However, rough weather conditions are hampering the operations. The focus is to prepare the equipment which allows the salvors to access the ship once the weather improves.

The Panama-registered ship weighs 13,800 DWT. It was on its way to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania when its crew of 18 Filipino sailors abandoned it after it listed dangerously. It ultimately grounded at 10:00 p.m. local time on the evening of Tuesday.

The crew members left on a life raft and were saved by a fishing vessel. The ship was carrying fertilisers in bags and also low-sulphur fuel and hydraulic oils.

Clean-up teams are working to remove flotsam from the neighbouring beaches and a warning has been issued to mariners and people to be cautious of the debris.

Transfleet World Management, responsible for the ship stated there have been no reports of pollution or a leak from the vessel, however, oil spill response equipment has been mobilised as a precautionary measure.

SAMSA highlighted that the salvage operation has been slowed due to cold and wet weather with strong winds which have engulfed the region for almost a week.

Weather forecasts have predicted more storms and in the meantime, Transnet mentioned that operations have been restored at the major ports like Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay.

The CMA CGM vessel Benjamin Franklin which lost 44 containers overboard and reported damage to 30 arrived in Algoa Bay for shelter and is now at the anchorage of Port Elizabeth. It will go to Cape Town for inspections, per CMA CGM.

Reference: News24

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Source: Maritime Shipping News