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Cargo ship breaks up off New Zealand
MV Rena which ran aground off the coast of New Zealand in October has broken up in heavy seas, sparking fears of a new oil spill.
Credit: Maritime New Zealand
Rena separated into 2 pieces after being battered by 6m waves the previous night.
Maritime New Zealand | Maritime New Zealand Tauranga incident page | 01-08-2012
The forward section of the ship is in its original position on the reef, with the stern section moving an estimated 30 meters from the bow section, after the stern pivoted about 13 degrees to starboard, but still on the reef.
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The risk to the environment is a fragment of what it was, with at the most tens of tons of oil rather than hundreds of tons that potentially could be spilled
”—Environment Minister Nick Smith
On 5 October 2011 the Rena ran aground near Tauranga, New Zealand, resulting in an oil spill.
On 8 January 2012 the Rena broke in two after enduring heavy winds and seas overnight. The split, amidship has caused both sections to slew away from each other and settle lower in the water.
As current weather patterns were pushing containers in a westerly direction between Astrolabe Reef and Mayor Island, communities along the Bay of Plenty coastline have been warned that debris or damaged containers could come ashore over the next 12-24 hours.
The National Oiled Wildlife Response Team has been activated to respond to the potential release of oil from the ship, and its members will be checking Mount Maunganui and Leisure Island for oiled birds overnight.
At today’s press conference in Tauranga, Environment Minister Nick Smith said that the efforts of MNZ and the salvors over the last three months ensured that the impact of the Rena’s break-up was much less than would have been the case when the vessel first went aground.
Primary source â–º Maritime New Zealand Tauranga incident page
Further reading â–º Rena exclusion zone extended
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