The bulk carrier Kiperousa is still aground by the stern off the Eastern Cape coast and is awaiting a salvage tanker from Cape Town, the National Ports Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.
Shortly after 11am on Tuesday, a Mayday signal was put out by the vessel and a massive rescue operation was launched. It is believed the Kiperousa struck an object approximately two nautical miles offshore, south of Hamburg.
”It looks like the stern is aground, the bow is still floating,” NPA spokesperson Terry Taylor said.
It is not clear what the ship is lodged on, but it could be a rock, Taylor said.
An environment watch vessel is also monitoring possible pollution risks.
Most of the crew were transferred to a rescue vessel and taken to land, with a skeleton crew from the vessel and salvage teams flown in from Cape Town and Durban trying to get her moving again.
However, poor weather hampered efforts and the team could not get closer because of the sea swell.
By Wednesday morning, the crew of 25 and salvors was in East London waiting for a larger salvage tanker to arrive from Cape Town. She was expected by Wednesday evening.
The Malta-registered vessel was sailing from Gabon to Durban. — Sapa