The hazardous operation to remove toxic fuel from stricken container ship Rena resumes. Calm weather now is allowing salvage teams to park a fuel tanker barge close to the ship - grounded off the New Zealand coast. Officials say they have a window of five days to remove the remaining 1200 tonnes of oil. But the desperate race to pump the fuel has been hindered by technical problems, bad weather and a heavily listing vessel. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SALVAGE MANAGER, MARITIME NEW ZEALAND, BRUCE ANDERSON, SAYING: "We've got complexity, heaped on top of complexity, heaped on top of complexity. So, it's not a simple job." Nearby beaches may look back to normal but authorities have discovered that many beaches have a layer of oil hidden just beneath the surface. Around 350 tonnes of oil from Rena has already spilled into the sea. Sunita Rappai, Reuters
Be the first to comment