UK National News - Napoli clean up operation underway

25 January 2007

Napoli clean up operation underway

Help in the form of two specialist cranes are barging from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to salvage the cargo of beached container ship MSC Napoli.

Salvors have been pumping oil from the vessel at a rate of 30 tonnes per hour.

The number of containers lost from the ship still stands at 103. Of these 50 have been positively identified on the shore; 20 are still afloat and will be recovered by boat; and 33 unaccounted for containers are presumed sunk.

Branscombe beach has now been cleared of people and is fenced off as a worksite. Private contractors have begun the operation to clear the debris left by those who scavenged the site at the beginning of the week, as well as clearing the containers on shore.

Agency spokeswoman Julia Gosling said the operation to pump the oil off the vessel would probably continue until next week.

There are still fears that thousands of seabirds could have been affected by the leaked oil.

About 1,000 birds have been rescued since the ship was deliberately grounded a mile of Branscombe to prevent it breaking up in deep water after suffering serious structural damage during storms on 17 January.

The Marine Conservation Society said that it was satisfied that everything was being done to clear up the Napoli wreck.

(DS/SP)