WA: Bulk carrier runs aground off Western Australia
By Hamish Esplin
PERTH, Aug 26 AAP - A 200,000-tonne bulk carrier has run aground off the coast of WesternAustralia.
The Hanjin Dampier, a Korean-owned carrier transporting a shipment of iron ore, strucka sandbar off the West Australian port of Dampier in the Pilbara around lunch time yesterday.
The carrier was enroute from Dampier port, in the state's north, to Korea when a mechanicalfault caused steering problems.
"About an hour and a half after departing the berth both generators on the vessel failedwhich led to a steerage failure," Dampier Port Authority chief executive Greg Trenberthsaid.
"Consequently the vessel veered out of the channel and went aground."
Mr Trenberth said a representative of the ship's owners, Hanjin Shipping Company, wasdue to arrive in Dampier within a day to take charge of the re-floating operation.
"The high tides are reducing and the next high spring tide won't be until the 8th ofSeptember," Mr Trenberth said.
He said the 300-metre long ship, lying 18km off the Australian coast, did not appearto pose any environmental risks.
"There is a slight chance (of environmental damage) but at this stage there is no evidenceof structural damage to the vessel," Mr Trenberth said.
"Notwithstanding that, we've activated the national plan."
A combination of tugboats and booms have been deployed in a one kilometre radius aroundthe stranded ship to deal with any pollution which might occur.
"We are in a position to immediately respond and wrap the ship up in booms if therebecomes any evidence of oil spill, but at this stage that's unlikely," Mr Trenberth said.
A decision on whether some of the ship's iron cargo would need to be offloaded wouldbe made by the owner's representative upon arrival in Dampier, he said.
AAP he/tnf/sb
KEYWORD: VESSEL
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