MSC Napoli, a cargo ship that was intentionally beached off the south coast of England after being abandoned by its crew in bad weather, has started to leak waste oil.
The Napoli, which was abandoned by its crew on January 18 after extreme storms hit the UK, has already lost over 200 of its 2,400 containers to the sea, some of which have washed up along the coastline and fallen victim to looters. The vessel’s owners have now reportedly enlisted the help of security firms to protect the beached containers.
The ship has suffered extensive damage, signs of which are visible on both sides of the vessel where large fractures appear.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said the leak, which has spread up to five miles from the vessel, is suspected to be coming from waste oils in the flooded engine spaces but does not pose a major environmental threat. Salvage teams are now hoping to pump out the remaining 3,000 tons of fuel oil in the ship’s tanks.
Six years prior to this incident the vessel, operating under the name of CMA-CGM Normadie, ran aground six miles from Singapore in the Strait of Malacca. The vessel was later refloated before undergoing major structural repairs.