GMM Safety | 2024-08-07 | Case Enviroment |
South Africa’s coastal clean-up efforts are intensifying following an oil spill caused by the breakup of the Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Ultra Galaxy over the weekend.
The vessel, broken into four pieces due to extreme weather conditions, has been leaking oil into the waters off the western coast, prompting a large-scale response from both local and national authorities.
According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), one of the vessel’s fuel tanks was damaged by strong waves and a cold front.According to estimates, the ship still has at least 500 tons of fuel on board.
Salvage operations have been halted due to dangerous surf conditions, but clean-up efforts are underway.
Local residents, along with a dedicated team of 125 people, are assisting in an effort to contain and remove the oil from the affected beaches.
The Ultra Galaxy was grounded in a remote coastal area around 180 miles north of Cape Town.
In collaboration with SAMSA and the Interim Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg), the South African government activated the country’s Oil Spill Contingency Plans.
The plan involves deploying additional equipment and expanding the clean-up workforce to tackle the spill effectively.