Tasman Spirit spills more crude oil

A Maltese-registered oil tanker grounded outside Pakistan's main port leaked more crude into the sea yesterday as authorities struggled to empty the ship with the help of a foreign salvage vessel, officials said.

More than 3,100 tonnes of crude were drained from the tanker yesterday, a spokesman for the Karachi Port Trust told Reuters.

But a further 5,000 tonnes were still on the Tasman Spirit, which has been grounded outside the channel leading to Karachi Port since July 27.

In the worst spill in Pakistan's history, Tasman Spirit has so far leaked more than 25,000 tonnes of crude into the Arabian Sea, polluting Karachi's coastline and killing marine life.

While port operations continue undisturbed, doctors and environmentalists say tens of thousands of residents of beachside neighbourhoods and small islands have complained of ailments including headaches, nausea and respiratory problems.

The Tasman Spirit was carrying around 67,500 tonnes of crude when it ran aground in bad weather and a high monsoon tide. It later split in two.

So far 37,000 tonnes of crude have been drained from the tanker, including the 3,100 taken out yesterday.

Authorities now fear the rear section could break in two as cracks have developed in the hull.

"The aft section continues gradually to tilt on one side," the spokesman said. "The tilt has increased to nine degrees."

"If that rear portion breaks, the bulk of the remaining oil will also spill," the spokesman said. "We are fighting against time to empty the ship before that happens."

Sea Angle, a small salvage tanker which arrived from the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, is spearheading the delicate draining operation helped by the Pakistan Navy and other local agencies.

Sea Angle was called after Fair Jolly, another foreign salvage tanker, developed a hole in its hull.

Once Tasman Spirit was empty, salvage teams would remove its bunker oil, lubricant and batteries, officials said.

Environmentalists say it will take months to clean and restore Karachi beaches now covered with a thick layer of black crude and littered with dead fish, turtles and sea snakes.