New Zealand: Grounded cargo ship broken in 2

A Liberian-flagged cargo ship that grounded on a New Zealand reef almost three months ago has effectively broken into two pieces, New Zealand's shipping authority said Monday. The Rena, which still has hundreds of cargo containers on board, has been buffeted by heavy swells and rough weather that swept across New Zealand over the last four days. A statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) on Monday said the 47,000-tonne vessel was "effectively in two pieces, but she is still firmly grounded on the reef and may be still joined underneath." "Divers will examine the undersides once weather and sea conditions improve, probably today," said the MNZ statement. The operation to remove the cargo containers remained suspended until the conditions improved further, it said. Nine of the containers had been "misplaced," possibly crushed in a hold or lost overboard, while two had definitely gone overboard, one of which was found. "Light oil sheens have still been seen coming from the bow and stern of the ship. An unknown quantity of oil remains on the ship. Salvors will continue to monitor the state of the Rena," said the statement. "Storm conditions have washed up debris on to the beaches, but no significant fresh oil has been reported," it said. However, oiled seabirds were still being brought to the wildlife recovery center. The Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical miles off the east of the North Island, near the port of Tauranga, on Oct. 5, causing one of New Zealand's worst oil spills. The captain and navigation officer from the ship's Filipino crew have been charged in connection with the grounding and the resulting pollution.