’Safmarine Agulhas’ - update 5

Cape Town, 26 July 2006, 14h00

Adverse weather and swell conditions since Monday have resulted in a temporary suspension of the ’Safmarine Agulhas’ cargo removal operation. With the lightened vessel becoming lively in the high swell, it was deemed unsafe for salvage divers to enter the flooded cargo holds where the last of the containerised cargo is still to be removed. As and when conditions allow, the final phase of the cargo removal operation will resume. The vessel was carrying 469 loaded containers containing varied cargo and 112 empty containers when it ran aground. It is estimated that 100 containers are still to be removed from the grounded container ship.

Despite the high swell conditions of the past few days, the salvage team have been able to continue skimming oil in the engine room and cargo holds and the last of the heavy fuel oil is in the process of being located, skimmed and removed from the vessel. 747 tonnes of heavy fuel oil was onboard the vessel when she ran aground and the last few tonnes are in the process of being removed

A decision will be made by the end of the week as to the future plans for the ’Safmarine Agulhas’.

No pollution has been reported to be emanating from the grounded container ship ’Safmarine Agulhas’ in and the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourisms (DEAT) patrol aircraft ’Kuswag VIII’ remains stationed in East London and continues to overfly the casualty daily to monitor the situation in this regard. A team of experts from DEAT has been stationed in East London since the vessel ran aground and oil spill abatement equipment is on site and will be utilised if necessary. With the vast majority of the heavy fuel oil off of the vessel, the risk that the ’Safmarine Agulhas’ now poses to the marine environment has been significantly reduced.

The container ship ’Safmarine Agulhas’ has been aground for 30 days off of the Western Breakwater, Port of East London. The vessel ran aground on Monday 26th June after suffering engine failure shortly after she exited the port en route to Durban. Several refloating attempts utilising harbour tugs and the tug ’Smit Amandla’ did not achieve success and the vessel remained firmly aground. Subject to grounding forces and the continuous powerful action of the sea, the steady deterioration of the vessels structural integrity remains cause for concern and is being assessed and monitored by the onboard salvage team. Shipping operations are continuing as normal in the Port and are not impacted on by the current situation.

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For further information:

Media queries for the South African Maritime Safety Authority to be forwarded to:
Captain Saleem Modak
Phone: +27 21 421 4069
Mobile: +27 83 2575931
Fax: +27 21 421 6109
Email: smodak@samsa.org.za

Media queries for the Department of Environment Affairs & Tourism to be forwarded to:
Carol Moses
Phone: +27 21 402 3556
Mobile: +27 82 829 3917.
Email: cmoses@deat.gov.za

Media queries for the National Ports Authority to be forwarded to:
Terry Taylor
Mobile: +27 83 284 1786
Email: terryt@npa.co.za

Media queries regarding the salvage operation to be forwarded to SMIT Salvage:
Clare Gomes
Phone: +27 21 507 5703
Mobile: +27 82 909 2025
Fax: +27 507 5888
Email: c.gomes@smit.com

Media enquiries regarding the vessel to be forwarded to the Owners:
F.A. Vinnen & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG). Contact: Mr. Michael Vinnen
Phone: +49-421-33 500-0
Mobile: +49 172 43 84 422
Fax: +49-421-33 500-40
Email: Michael.vinnen@vinnen.com

Media enquiries regarding the Safmarine cargo on board to be forwarded to:
Victor Shieh
PR & Communications Executive
Safmarine Container Lines N.V.
Tel: +32 3 2444843
Mobile: +32 473 980855
Fax: +32 3 2444840
Email: vshieh@be.safmarine.com