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Rough seas delay crews pumping oil from leaking tanker
Karachi, Aug 17: High tides and strong winds hampered crews trying to pump oil from a leaking tanker today, as dozens more workers began cleaning a beach polluted by oily sludge from the ship stranded off the coast of Pakistan`s largest city, Karachi, officials said.
Karachi, Aug 17: High tides and strong winds hampered crews trying to pump oil from a leaking tanker today, as dozens more workers began cleaning a beach polluted by oily sludge from the ship stranded off the coast of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, officials said.
Mechanical problems also hindered the removal of crude oil from the Mt Tasman spirit, which ran aground July 27 in heavy monsoon rains, said brig. Iftikhar Arshad, a
senior administration official at Karachi's port.
A generator on the ship that was supposed to power the oil pumps stopped working, Arshad said.
High winds and rough seas delayed workers from a Dutch salvage company as they tried to replace the generator, he added.
The pumping operation _ expected to take 10 more days could be delayed by a day, he said.
The ship, owned by Malta-based Assimina Maritime Ltd., ran aground about two kilometers (a mile) from Karachi. Oil began to leak days later, and the ship's hull split apart days ago. The tanker was carrying 67,000 metric tons of crude oil for Pakistan Refinery Ltd. And was chartered by Pakistan National Shipping Corp. Crews have salvaged 55,000 metric tons (60,630 US Tons) of oil.
Officials have declined to say how much oil has already spilled.
About 100 workers in orange uniforms began to shovel oil-soaked sand on Sunday from Karachi's Clifton Beach, a popular swimming spot which has been littered with dead fish, crabs, shrimp and other oil-coated marine life.
Bureau Report
A generator on the ship that was supposed to power the oil pumps stopped working, Arshad said.
High winds and rough seas delayed workers from a Dutch salvage company as they tried to replace the generator, he added.
The pumping operation _ expected to take 10 more days could be delayed by a day, he said.
The ship, owned by Malta-based Assimina Maritime Ltd., ran aground about two kilometers (a mile) from Karachi. Oil began to leak days later, and the ship's hull split apart days ago. The tanker was carrying 67,000 metric tons of crude oil for Pakistan Refinery Ltd. And was chartered by Pakistan National Shipping Corp. Crews have salvaged 55,000 metric tons (60,630 US Tons) of oil.
Officials have declined to say how much oil has already spilled.
About 100 workers in orange uniforms began to shovel oil-soaked sand on Sunday from Karachi's Clifton Beach, a popular swimming spot which has been littered with dead fish, crabs, shrimp and other oil-coated marine life.
Bureau Report