Pretoria: 16 July 2024
SALVAGE WORK ON COURSE: The grounded Panama-flagged general cargo vessel, the Ultra Galaxy, on its side, showing the breach of its cargo holds due to battering by huge wages driven by a cold front that swept the Western Cape province of South Africa in the past week. (Photo: SAMSA)Pockets of calmer weather off South Africa’s west coast have injected much needed impetus to salvage work of the grounded Panama-flagged general cargo ship, the MV Ultra Galaxy, now lying on its side, beached, on a remote location of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Cape Town; the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported on Tuesday.
According to SAMSA, top priority is the extraction and relocation of the vessel’s fuel and oils on board to prevent possible environmental polution at sea and the adjacent land area.
In a statement issued Tuesday following a meeting of the incident management team, SAMSA further confirmed that during the recent extreme weather experienced throughout the whole of last week and during which the vessel ran aground, the ship’s hatch covers were eventually dislodged and detached, leaving the cargo holds vulnerable. Consequently, a significant portion of the ship’s fertilizer cargo was swept away by the sea.
With welcome calmer weather, a helicopter could be used since the weekend to conduct inspection of the vessel (Photo: SAMSA)In the wake of this development, two distinct warnings have since been issued to – on the one hand – vessels traversing the ocean in the area, and on the other hand, the general public, for all to be on the lookout for debris and other flotsam that may either be still at sea, or washed ashore by currents and winds.
SAMSA said: “Salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, continued over the weekend. The vessel ran aground on the evening of Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024, off the coast of Duiwegat, just south of Brand se Baai on the West Coast.
“The ship was abandoned by her crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list. The crew is now safely back in the Philippines.
“In light of the recent extreme weather, the ship’s hatch covers were dislodged and detached from the vessel, leaving the cargo holds vulnerable. Consequently, a significant portion of the ship’s fertilizer cargo was swept away by the sea.
“While some hatch covers have been retrieved, a navigation alert has been issued for ships in the vicinity. Current efforts are focused on removing the fertilizer bags that are washing up on the shoreline. It is expected that most of the fertilizer in the individual cargo bags would have dissolved and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is implementing an environmental monitoring program.
“The search for flotsam and other debris from the ship will be expanding over the next few days, as the salvage crew tries to utilize the good weather between cold fronts.”
Photos of cargo hold steel hatch covers found strewn across a beach near where the Ultra Galaxy went aground on the west of South Africa last Tuesday evening, with salvage personnel on site to collect away both these, debris and other flotsom being found in the area. (Photos: SAMSA)According to SAMSA, with the drift pattern expected to be in a southerly direction, members of the public on the West Coast south of Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay were being requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach.
This includes items such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam, and which should all be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.
SAMSA made a special appeal to the public to not collect or attempt to remove any items found by themselves but to rather alert officials through the contact details provided.
Said SAMSA: “Members of the public are also requested not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris safely in order to minimize harm to people and the environment.
Meanwhile, according to SAMSA, salvage teams and divers had started with sealing the fuel tanks to prevent any oil from spilling into the ocean. “They are also investigating the structural integrity of the vessel to plan a way forward to secure and safely remove the oil and wreck from the area.
“At this stage of the operation, the vessel poses no new environmental threats, however all efforts are being made to monitor the situation and put preventative measures in place. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should an oil spill occur, and seabirds become affected,” said SAMSA.
The Panama-registered MV Ultra Galaxy (previously known as Thor Galaxy and Thorco Galaxy) is a 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel built in 2008. At the time of its distress call early on Monday a week ago, she was on her way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Further public updates would be shared as they become available, said SAMSA.
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