An oil spill has triggered a major emergency on South Africa’s west coast following the MV Ultra Galaxy, a Panama-registered cargo ship, breaking apart over the weekend. The vessel, which had run aground on July 9 while headed to Dar es Salaam with a fertilizer cargo, was severely damaged by strong waves from a cold front impacting the Western and Northern Cape regions. This led to an immediate activation of South Africa’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the ship split into four sections, with one of its fuel tanks rupturing and causing the spill. The MV Ultra Galaxy, a 124.56-meter-long ship built in 2008, was compromised by the severe weather conditions experienced over the past three days.
SAMSA reported that severe weather over the past three days caused the MV Ultra Galaxy to break into four sections, with one fuel tank rupturing and leading to an oil spill on the beach.
A team of 125 local volunteers, organized by the interim Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg) in collaboration with the Department of Transport (DoT) and SAMSA, has been working on the clean-up effort. The spill has affected about one kilometer of beach south of the wreck, and the clean-up teams are actively removing the oil from the shore.
Heavy swells and winds have prevented the oil from drifting further out to sea, keeping it confined to the immediate beach area. Ongoing aerial and surface surveys are monitoring the spill’s impact and extent.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs, Forestry, and Fisheries, is ready to establish a temporary facility in Lamberts Bay to assist seabirds if they are affected.
SAMSA has advised the public from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay to remain alert for debris such as cargo bags or steel hatch covers and to report any findings to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.
