Ships Stranded as 50-foot storm swells and winds of up to 60 mph battered Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Ships Stranded as 50-foot storm swells and winds of up to 60 mph
battered Australia's east coast.
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Friday June 8, 2007 5:46 AM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - A coal freighter carrying 21 crew, mostly
Filipinos, ran aground in stormy seas off Australia's east coast Friday,
prompting a rescue operation and fears of a fuel leak, authorities and
media reports said.
Gale-force winds and strong tides pushed the 40,000-ton ship Pasha
Bulker into a sand bank off the eastern city of Newcastle, New South
Wales state police said.
The ship was not carrying any cargo, and no one was injured, police said.
Police helicopters were airlifting the crew off the ship and taking them
to a nearby park where they were examined by paramedics and found to be
in good health, Sky News reported.
The Newcastle Coastal Patrol said the ship's fuel tanks were not
damaged, but authorities said there was some risk of the ship breaking
apart, leaking hundreds of tons of fuel oil and diesel into the ocean.
``A response is being coordinated and contingencies for pollution are
being put in place,'' said New South Wales state maritime chief Chris
Oxenbould.
The 820-foot-long Pasha Bulker had been preparing to collect coal from
Newcastle Port later this month. Wild winds and heavy swells caused it
to break its moorings and drift into the sand bank.
Meanwhile, officials warned that at least two other ships were at risk
of running aground as a 50-foot storm swell and winds of up to 60 mph
battered Australia's east coast.
Three ships send SOS as tanker runs aground
By Mark Schliebs
June 08, 2007 02:06pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au
Stuck fast ... huge waves lash the run aground Pasha Bulker Pic: Darren
Schaepman
THERE are fears three ships may become beached due to "wild" winds and
waves north of where a cargo ship ran aground off the New South Wales
coast this morning.
Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said the Sea Confidence was in distress about
0.8 nautical miles off Stockton Beach, near Newcastle.
"It's got its engines at full speed trying to get away from the
coastline but it's being dragged towards the coastline and will run
aground, we expect soon," he said.
He did not know how many crew were on the Sea Confidence, but a NSW
Maritime spokeswoman said tugboats had been deployed to try to pull the
ship further out to sea.
An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said the 190m-long
vessel had been moored off the shoreline, but heavy seas had forced it
further in shore this morning.
It was not known if the ship, which has a capacity of more than 39,000
tonnes, was carrying any cargo.
There were concerns for at least another two ships off the coast, with
waves of up to 17m, Mr Tripodi said.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said officials were
concerned about another ship, the Coral Emerald, being forced toward shore.
“The Coral Emerald is about three nautical miles from the shore,” the
spokeswoman said.
She said ships along the coastline were trying to sail further east to
avoid beachings.
The NSW Maritime spokeswoman said a third ship, Betis, was also seeking
emergency assistance from authorities after being forced within 2.5
kilometres from the shoreline.
Coal carrier the Pasha Bulker ran aground earlier today, with all 22
crew being airlifter to safety this afternoon.
With AAP
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