A cargo ship that had run aground on a beach in South Africa has now broken apart, sparking concerns over an ensuing oil spill into the waters along the country’s western coast.
The 410-foot Panama-flagged MV Ultra Galaxy has been beached northwest of Cape Town since July 9, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). But during a “spell of stormy wintry weather” over the weekend of July 27, 22-foot-swells slammed into the vessel every 15 seconds, cracking the hull and breaking the ship into four pieces. Earlier in the week, crews had managed to remove several oil drums and eight tons of marine gas oil from the fuel tanks.
SAMSA has recruited 125 people from the local community to aid in clean-up efforts, while the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds has been put on standby in case seabirds are affected by the spill.
“A full assessment is currently being conducted by both aerial and surface surveys,” SAMSA said in a release on July 28. “This follows the severe and disruptive weather that continues to batter the Western and Northern Cape coastlines.”
People living along South Africa’s west coast are also being told to look out for debris washing up to shore, including cargo bags, steel hatch covers and “other flotsam.”
