Adverse weather conditions continued to delay the start of oil-transfer operations from the BBC China, the cargo vessel stranded off the Eastern Cape Coast, authorities said on Friday.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said the ship has about 120 tonnes of oil on board.
”The department’s marine pollution team, together with the local authority’s disaster management team, as well as members of the local communities, are continuing with a clean-up operation.
”A waste-disposal unit deployed by the department started to remove bags of oiled sludge yesterday [Thursday],” the department said in a statement.
It added that standard precautionary response measures remained in place and the estuary at the Msikaba River near the stricken vessel would stay out of bounds.
Kuswag I, an anti-pollution patrol vessel, together with salvors Pentow Service, remained on standby at the scene and were monitoring the situation closely.
Kuswag V111, an anti-pollution patrol aircraft, was also regularly surveying the surrounding marine environment from the air. — Sapa