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Scuba Diving News
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Monday, 12 April 2010 02:17 |
The Chinese Ship, is at risk of breaking apart after striking a protected reef at Douglas Shoals, a pristine area east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Shen Neng 1
After veering over nine miles outside of it's designated shipping lane, the Shen Neng 1 hit the reef at full speed and is currently leaking oil.
Maritime Safety Queensland's general manager, Patrick Quirk, said the vessel was badly damaged on its port side. "At one stage last night, we thought the ship was close to breaking up. We are still very concerned about the ship. It is in danger of actually breaking a number of its main structures and breaking into a number of parts."
A police bat is on standby to remove the crew of 23, should the ship break apart. Emergency crews are on alert as it is feared that any salvage operation on the ship could spill more oil, reaching the coast within only two days.
The federal environment minister, Peter Garrett, said authorities had been working through the night to determine what risks the ship posed. "The government is very conscious of the importance of the Great Barrier Reef environment and ensuring that impacts on its ecology are effectively managed," he said.
The 230-metre bulk carrier was carrying about 65,000 tonnes of coal to China and ran aground within hours of leaving the Queensland port of Gladstone.
Conservationists have expressed outrage that such ships can travel through the reef without a pilot with local expertise. "The state government is being blinded by royalties and their shortsightedness will go down in history as killing the reef," said Larissa Waters, spokeswoman for Queensland's Green party.
An enquiry is ongoing to determine why the ship ran off course.
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