The general cargo ship “Ultra Galaxy” had been capsized off the coast of South Africa since the beginning of July. Winter storms made the salvage work more difficult.
At the weekend, the ship could no longer withstand the waves and broke into four sections. This caused oil to escape. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) announced on Sunday that an emergency oil spill response plan was immediately activated. A total of 125 people from local communities were mobilised for the work.
Oil on board the “Ultra Galaxy”
“Every effort is being made to contain the spill in the immediate area and clean-up operations are continuing,” the authority said. Comprehensive aerial and surface surveys are currently being carried out to assess the extent of the damage.
The break-up of the wreck, which lay aground north of Cape Town, was caused by waves up to seven metres high repeatedly crashing against the hull of the “Ultra Galaxy”. The South African coast has recently been hit by severe storms, a consequence of the onset of winter. The conditions are expected to continue until the beginning of this week, with salvage work expected to be able to continue safely from Wednesday.
Before the storm hampered the operation, several oil drums and eight tons of marine gas oil (MGO) had already been recovered from the wreck. It is not known how much environmentally harmful oil was released into the sea when the “Ultra Galaxy” broke up. However, “all important resources needed to combat the oil spill” have been mobilised, SAMSA announced. Debris from the ship had previously washed up on the coast.
The general cargo vessel (13,800 dwt), operated by Ultrabulk and flying the Panama flag, was on its way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania when it ran aground. The crew of 18 had to abandon the ship but were able to leave it unharmed.
