South Africa Plans to Prevent Future Oil Spills due to Ships’ Grounding

Salvage operations are underway off the west coast of South Africa to prevent an oil spill and pollution from a cargo ship, the Panamanian-flagged “Ultra Galaxy,” which ran aground near Doring Bay. The ship was abandoned by its Filipino crew after listing heavily, leading to concerns about a possible oil spill. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is working at a high speed to minimize the risk of pollution and assess the cargo’s condition on the vessel.

The entire crew of the ship was successfully rescued from a life raft by passing vessels after a distress alarm was detected. Efforts are now focused on preventing a fuel and oil spill and recovering the cargo of fertilizer bags. Despite rough seas caused by cold fronts hitting South African ports, salvage operations are not being hampered, and authorities are working to mitigate any environmental damage.

In a separate incident, the French shipping company CMA CGM reported losing 44 containers from its ship “Benjamin Franklin” in difficult weather conditions off the coast of South Africa. The situation highlights the dangers of maritime operations and the need for prompt and effective response to prevent environmental disasters.

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