Oil spill spotted after grounded cargo vessel breaks apart in South Africa

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Sunday (28 July) said a national oil spill contingency plan has been activated after grounded Panama-flagged general cargo vessel MV Ultra Galaxy broke apart due to stormy wintry weather conditions.

The ship was beached on its side in a remote area of South Africa’s west coast since early July. 

According to SAMSA, the 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel, built in 2008, was sailing to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania when it was abandoned by its crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list followed by a subsequent grounding on 9 July. 

SAMSA said that as a direct result of this latest incident, as many as 125 people from local communities has been enlisted in the mop up phase.

SAMSA said: “The grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, has broken into four sections overnight, leading to an oil spill. All attempts are being made to contain the spill within the immediate area, and cleaning operations will continue.

“A full assessment is currently being conducted by both aerial and surface surveys. This follows the severe and disruptive weather that continues to batter the Western and Northern Cape coastlines.

“At one stage, 6.8-meter swells struck the wreck every 15 seconds, and the massive force of this constant battering caused the accommodation (section) to first break off, which then led to a number of larger cracks on the hull, forward of the accommodation.

“A pre-prepared Oil Spill Contingency Plan was initiated this (Sunday) morning, and additional personnel have been drafted in to assist with cleaning the spill. One hundred and twenty-five (125) people were recruited from the local community to assist with the clean-up operation, and the communities in the area have been very supportive throughout this operation,” said SAMSA.

According to SAMSA, this latest development occurred just after earlier in the week, salvors had managed to remove several lube oil drums and about eight tonnes of marine gas oil from the fuel tanks of the wreck.

“All essential resources needed to deal with the oil spill have been mobilised. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should seabirds become affected.

“An Orange level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves was issued earlier in the week, with conditions expected to last until Monday, with the swell subsiding by Wednesday. Active salvage work will resume once it is safe to access the wreck,” said SAMSA.

On 12 July, SAMSA said the 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel, built in 2008, was sailing to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania when it was abandoned by its crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list followed by a subsequent grounding on 9 July. 

Photo credit: SAMSA
Published: 30 July 2024