Salvage efforts continue on Safmarine ship

Salvage efforts continue on Safmarine ship    More than three weeks after it came aground outside the Port of East London in South Africa, salvors are continuing to off-load containers from the containership 'Safmarine Agulhas'.
   While a light oily sheen was reported to be emanating from the vessel earlier this week, the salvage company Smit said no oil has been seen for days and that 707 of 727 tons of heavy fuel on board had been removed.
   The 1,700-TEU ship had 469 loaded containers and 112 empties when it ran aground. All the deck cargo and two of the four hatches have been cleared.
   The ship ran-off of the Western Breakwater in the Port of East London June 26 after suffering engine failure shortly after she exited the port en route to Durban.
   Several refloating attempts utilizing harbor tugs and the tug 'Smit Amandla' did not succeed.
   “Subject to grounding forces and the continuous powerful action of the sea, the steady deterioration of the vessel’s structural integrity remains cause for concern and is being assessed and monitored by the onboard salvage team. Shipping operations are continuing as normal in the port,” Smit said.