Oil spill closes Cape beaches

Children plays on Blouberg Strand after the Seli 1 spilled oil onto the beach after heavy storms the previous night. Picture Leon Lestrade

Cape Town - Clean up operations will continue on the Table View beachfront on Monday, when it is hoped most of the oil from a stranded bulk carrier would be washed out to sea, the City of Cape Town said on Sunday.

A second aerial assessment was done on Sunday morning, after a helicopter flew over the area on Saturday to determine the extent of the oil spill.

“The assessment indicated a black streak of oil around the vessel in the area approximately 500 metres radius moving towards the beach. There is also oil on Dolphin Beach (1 km stretch) and at Rietvlei (500 metres 3/8,” the city's disaster management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.

Urgent measures were taken to keep people away from the wreckage, which broke into three parts following rough seas on Friday night.

The city's law enforcement officers as well as the SAPS closed-off public access to the beaches.

“The public that were paddling and performing other recreational activities around the vessel has been instructed to move out of the area by officers on marine enforcement watercraft,” said Solomons-Johannes.

Efforts would also be made to address environmental concerns.

“The Department of Environment Affairs Harbour Master of Transnet National Ports Authority of South Africa has indicated that resources will made available and been placed on standby should the need arises to protect river mouths and estuaries along the coastline.”

The Panamanian-registered and Turkish-operated ship was carrying 30,000 tons of coal and 600 tons of heavy fuel when it developed engine problems in September 2009.

The vessel has remained stranded since then.

South African authorities require R40 million to clear the wreckage.

- Sapa/IOL