A Greek cargo ship laden with coal and more than 400 tonnes of fuel oil ran aground this morning on a remote section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Queensland state transport officials said the 73,000-tonne Doric Chariotreported it had suffered no damage and was not leaking fuel after hitting an outcrop called Piper's Reef in the pre-dawn darkness.
"At this stage the vessel is quite stable, the weather is good and the seas calm," a state transport ministry spokeswoman said, adding the incident occurred at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
But an official with the Maritime Union of Australia, Mr Mick Carr, said the ship was resting on its bow and could be at risk of breaking apart.
"The vessel has run hard aground on Piper's Reef and the bow could be up to seven metres up on the reef," Mr Carr said. "Perhaps, if that's the case, she would only be floating on her stern, which is a potential disaster. If the stresses are that much, that the ship may break in two".
Salvage crews and two tugs are on the way to help lift the ship off the sand bar but will not reach the site near the northeastern tip of Australia until tomorrow, the ministry spokeswoman said.
She said there was no immediate explanation for the accident, which happened as the ship headed north to India via Singapore with a load of coal.
The accident came four days after Australian authorities unveiled plans to further restrict shipping through the 2,300-kilometre Great Barrier Reef.
AFP