TAURANGA, New Zealand, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A tank holding tons of oil on a grounded ship off Tauranga, New Zealand, ruptured Friday, spewing fuel into the ocean, officials said.
Officials said an environmental disaster could be in the making because of the oil leaking from the 47,000-ton container ship Rena, which ran aground Wednesday, Radio New Zealand reported.
The 21-year-old ship, traveling toward Tauranga from Napier, had about 1,700 tons of fuel, and its cargo included four containers of ferrosilicon, a hazardous substance used as a source of silicon to deoxidize steel and other ferrous alloys.
Andrew Berry, Maritime New Zealand pollution response service manager, said Friday he was concerned about the oil slick's threat to the environment.
"It has the potential to be very, very serious indeed simply because of the age of the ship, the damage that she's sustained and the 1,700 tons of heavy fuel oil on board," Berry said.
Experts were available to help clean marine life affected by the oil slick.
Transport Minister Steve Joyce, after visiting the ship Friday, told Radio New Zealand some oil entered the ship's keel and some spilled into the ocean. He said more oil was likely to leak, warning residents that some oil could wash ashore.
Maritime New Zealand site commander Rob Service said a salvage operation had begun and an effort to pump fuel from the Rena should begin Monday.
