Salvage experts were racing to secure a container ship which ran aground on a reef off New Zealand, as oil started to wash up on Monday (October 10) along beaches of a popular holiday resort.
The 47,230-tonne Liberian-flagged Rena has been stuck on the reef, about 12 nautical miles from Tauranga on the east coast of the country's North Island, since running aground early on Wednesday (October 5).
The ship is carrying 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, which has been transferred to secure tanks at the rear of the vessel, and the oil is slowly being pumped into a barge.
Oil from the ship washed up on nearby beaches, and clean-up teams were moving in to collect the fist-sized clumps of oil.
Tauranga is a popular holiday destination, with long, golden beaches renowned for surfing, and nearby waters with an international reputation for big-game fishing.
As much as 30 tonnes of oil is estimated to have escaped from the 236-metre (863-feet) ship, which was punctured in two forward compartments and is listing at 10 degrees. All vents have been sealed to prevent oil escaping.
Several seabirds have died and about a dozen have been recovered and treated for oil contamination.
Refloating and salvage of the ship, of which more than half is aground on the reef, is the responsibility of the owners and salvage experts, but any plan needs official approval.
The Port of Tauranga, 200 km (120 miles) southeast of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, is the country's biggest export port and a hub for transshipping cargo.
