Small amounts of oil from a container ship stuck on a reef has started washing up at a popular New Zealand beach, while work to extract oil from the vessel was called off because of weather fears.
The Liberia-flagged Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef about 14 miles from Tauranga Harbour early last Wednesday and has been foundering there since. The 775ft ship has been leaking fuel, leading to fears it could cause an environmental disaster if it falls apart.
After beginning an operation to extract up to 1,700 tonnes of oil from the ship, marine crews halted the pumping after managing to remove just 10 tons.
Fist-sized clumps of oil were found at Mount Maunganui beach, a favourite spot for surfers, according to Maritime New Zealand. – (PA)