Crews are gearing up to pump oil out of a stranded container ship that struck a reef off the coast of New Zealand on Wednesday, as experts warn that spilt oil could reach the coast soon, media reported Sunday.
Some officials say that the oil, which has been steadily leaking from the Liberian-flagged tanker, Rena, could even reach the beaches of New Zealand, The Australian newspaper reported. The spill has already stretched around 4 miles long north of the country’s North Island in the Bay of Plenty.
The spill “has the potential to be very, very serious indeed, because of the age of the ship, the damage that she’s sustained and the 1,700 tons of oil on board,” said Andrew Berry, a pollution response expert with Maritime New Zealand, according to the paper.
Forecasted bad weather and strong winds over the next week could exacerbate the problems, officials have warned. The Maritime New Zealand agency said that up to 30 tons have leaked into the Bay of Plenty, according to The Associated Press.
During the oil extraction process, “The top priority is to first remove the oil, then lighten the vessel by removing the containers, and finally, move the ship off the reef,” the agency said, according to AP.
