Grounded Cargo Ship ‘Ultra Galaxy’ Breaks Apart in South Africa

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has reported that the Panama-flagged general cargo vessel, MV Ultra Galaxy, grounded off South Africa’s remote west coast, has broken apart due to severe stormy weather, causing an oil spill. The latest development has led to the activation of the national oil spill contingency plan.

SAMSA reported that the vessel, beached on its side since early July, broke into four sections over the weekend as a result of large swells hitting the wreck.

“At one stage, 6.8-meter swells struck the wreck every 15 seconds, and the massive force of this constant battering caused the accommodation (section) to first break off, which then led to a number of larger cracks on the hull, forward of the accommodation,” SAMSA said in an update.

In response, SAMSA has mobilized all essential resources to contain the spill and initiated a pre-prepared Oil Spill Contingency Plan. As of Sunday morning morning,125 local community members were recruited to assist with the clean-up efforts. Both aerial and surface surveys are currently being conducted to assess the full extent of the spill.

Earlier in the week, salvage teams had managed to remove several lube oil drums and about eight tons of marine gas oil from the vessel’s fuel tanks.

“All essential resources needed to deal with the oil spill have been mobilized. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should seabirds become affected,” SAMSA said.

“An Orange level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves was issued earlier in the week, with conditions expected to last until today (Monday), with the swell subsiding by Wednesday. Active salvage work will resume once it is safe to access the wreck,” it added.

The 124.56-meter-long general cargo ship, built in 2008, was en route to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania when it was abandoned by its 18 Filipino crew members on July 9 after developing an severe list and grounding. All crew members were safely rescued from a life raft.

The vessel, located approximately 60 nautical miles west of Doring Bay at the time of its initial distress, carried a full load of fertilizer in bags, as well as low sulfur bunkering fuel and hydraulic oils.

SAMSA has urged the public along the West Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, to report any debris such as cargo bags and steel hatch covers that may wash up on the beach. The public is advised against attempting to salvage debris themselves to minimize harm to people and the environment.

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