Alaska is hoping to avert an ecological disaster after a 225-metre cargo ship broke in half in the Bering Sea close to the Aleutian Islands, spilling 570 tonnes of heavy bunker oil.
The ship鈥檚 engines failed during a storm and it was driven aground. As New 杏吧原创 went to press, there were more than 1000 tonnes of oil still aboard the bulk carrier in three tanks that appear to be intact. The-six-year-old Selendang Ayu was carrying soybeans from Tacoma in Washington state on the heavily travelled great-circle route to China, which cuts through the Aleutian Islands. An attempt to tow it clear failed when the 20-centimetre-thick rope broke, and heavy seas grounded it on rocks off Unalaska Island.
The thick, dark bunker oil is not as acutely toxic as lighter oils, but it forms heavy slicks, breaks into tar balls, and coats beaches and the sea bottom. Clean-up crews placed booms to protect inlets on Sunday and Monday, but have not yet been able to skim oil from the sea.
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Salvage experts want to remove the oil remaining in the tanks before tackling the wreck. But the exposed location means this will be a difficult task. 鈥淭he winter weather will make it a challenge,鈥� says Howard Hile, a consultant representing the boat鈥檚 owners, the IMC Group of Singapore. More bad weather is expected to batter the wreck this week.
