Salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged general cargo vessel, MV Ultra Galaxy, beached on its side in a remote area of South Africa’s west coast since early July, has taken another turn after the vessel broke apart due to yet another spell of a stormy wintry weather at the weekend, leading to an oil spillage, SAMSA reported on Sunday.
In a statement released in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon, SAMSA said that as a direct result of this latest incident, an oil spill contingency plan had been immeditately activated, with as many as 125 people from local communities enlisted in the mop up phase.
Said SAMSA: “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 (8) tons of marine gas oil from the fuel tanks of the wreck.
“All essential resources needed to deal with the oil spill have been mobilized. 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.
Meanwhile, members of the public on the West Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, are requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam. SAMSA said any findings should be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.
“The public is also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimize harm to people and the environment. Further details will be shared as they become available,” said SAMSA
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