WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Strong winds and waves as high as 13 feet are making salvage operations for the stranded cargo vessel Rena off the New Zealand coast difficult, officials said.
The ship stranded on a reef off New Zealand. Crews are cleaning oil from beaches through authorities said the ship is no longer leaking oil.
Andrew Berry, a salvage unit manager for Maritime New Zealand, the agency responding to the disaster, suggest the integrity of Rena was questionable given the unfavorable weather conditions.
"The bow section is still sitting firmly on the reef, with the stern section showing some movement with the swell and tide," he said in a statement. "A closer inspection of the ship by MNZ advisers and naval architects this afternoon showed some movement and noise coming from the cracks on both sides of the vessel."
MNZ said that, since Monday evening, Rena has been pummeled by 40 mph winds and swells as high as 13 feet. A tug boat is connected to the ship's stern to act should Rena break up, said Berry.
Though no oil was reportedly leaking from Rena, authorities said more beach contamination is expected.
Nearly 750 tons of oiled waste has been collected by MNZ authorities and volunteers, the agency said.
"Every drop of oil that we can get off the Rena is one less drop that potentially can end up in the environment but given the huge range of variables that can affect operations, it's going to be a long, slow process," said Berry.
