Salvage teams resume NZ ship rescue
- 13 years ago
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
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