Sydney beaches could ALL be closed as thousands of face masks wash up along with other debris from cargo ship which lost 40 containers
- Singaporean-flagged APL England hit rough seas 73km south-east of Sydney
- It lost the cargo on Sunday and was forced to turn around and head to Brisbane
- Face masks have washed up on beaches Randwick, in Sydney's eastern suburbs
- Randwick Council spokesperson confirmed other beaches could be closed
Sydney beaches may be forced to close as debris from 40 ship containers which fell off a cargo ship washes ashore.
The APL England was en route from China to Melbourne on Sunday when it hit wild weather about 73km south-east of Sydney.
Large swell caused the ship to roll and stacks of containers destabilised and fell into 2km-deep water, forcing the vessel to turn around and head towards Brisbane.
Local resident Aliy Pott and co-founder of Australian organic beverage company Naturally Driven, helped clean up at Coogee Beach
The APL England was en route from China to Melbourne on Sunday when it hit wild weather about 73km south-east of Sydney
Five shipping containers washed up on Birdie Beach on Wednesday morning
Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos said the washed up debris has forced the closure of Malabar Beach while Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama remain open.
'We're asking people not to touch the items deeming them unsafe. They might be contaminated,' Ms Masselos told Daily Telegraph.
'If you find anything, please notify the lifeguards. They will be monitoring the situation and alerting the port authorities.'
A Randwick Council spokesperson confirmed that it is highly likely the beaches will be closed if debris continues to wash ashore.
Waverley councillor Sally Betts noted that members of the community were collecting face masks and silver packages off the beach and placing them in bins.
Ms Pott said Coogee 'looked like a tip' and that the beach was covered in medical masks and plastic containers
Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos said the washed up debris (pictured) has forced the closure of Malabar Beach
Local resident Aliy Pott said the news about the cargo washing up on the beaches stressed her out and knew she had to go out and help clean up the shore at Coogee.
'I saw a post last night before going to bed that someone had posted so I set my alarm for 6.30am and took down gloves and extra bags in case other people wanted to help clean up,' the 25-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.
'Within an hour I had collected hundreds of masks, hundreds of plastic containers and filled up bags of rubbish.
'I would love to go back down the next few days and I’m hoping that other people are feeling inspired to do the same thing because it’s going to need a lot more than one person to do it.
'And we all have a chance to make a difference in this in this devastating accident for the environment.'
APL England lost 40 shipping containers on Sunday and debris continues to wash ashore
Packaged face masks are seen on top of rubbish bins at Newport Beach
Plastic containers from the 40 shipping containers are seen washed up along a beach
Another local resident found eight packets of face masks washed up on the Central Coast
About 40 containers filled with goods such as household appliances, building materials and medical supplies fell into the ocean, Australian Maritime Safety Authority general manager of operations Allan Schwartz said.
NSW Maritime executive director Alex Barrell said boxes of flexible ducting, commonly used in heating and cooling systems, washed ashore at beaches in Sydney's east on Tuesday.
'These are consistent with items on the ship's cargo manifest, along with building supplies, protective equipment, plastic bottles and aircraft seats,' Mr Barrell said in a statement.
'Thankfully, no hazardous materials are reported in what fell overboard.'
A plastic container collected by Ms Potts who helped clean up at Coogee Beach
NSW Maritime is advising coastal councils between Sydney and Gosford on dealing with the containers and their contents
Mr Schwartz said reports were received of face masks washing up between Magenta Beach and The Entrance on the NSW Central Coast.
'These correlate to drift modelling of debris and are consistent with items listed on the ship's cargo manifest,' he said.
'We will be managing any further collection and safe disposal of debris from this ship as part of our marine pollution responsibilities,' Mr Barrell.
AMSA officers boarded the ship on Tuesday to check the ship's structural and operational condition following the collapse of the container stacks.
The ship will dock at the Port of Brisbane after midday on Wednesday under escort by two police craft and several support vessels.
ANL, operators of APL England, say 21 of the lost containers were empty and none of the others contain regulated hazardous goods or dangerous cargo.
A few dozen containers tumbled overboard in waters about 2km deep while another 74 were damaged
The containers not only held medical supplies but a also wide range of goods including household appliances and building materials
One container has washed up at Birdie Beach near Newcastle while face masks and other items have been discovered on NSW beaches.
'None of this cargo poses a risk to public health and we apologise for any disruption that has been caused,' the company said in a statement.
'ANL is committed to preserving the local environment and will undertake to remove debris in as timely a manner as possible.'
The company has appointed Varley Group to start a clean-up operation on Wednesday.
The APL England suffered a temporary loss of propulsion in heavy seas about 75km southeast of Sydney, which caused it to roll.
A few dozen containers tumbled overboard in waters about 2km deep while another 74 were damaged, leaving nine containers protruding from the ship's starboard and port sides.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was also notified and will investigate.
The APL England - under different management - previously lost 37 containers in the Great Australian Bight in August 2016, also due to heavy rolling in rough seas.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTgzNTk5ODUvU3lkbmV5LWJlYWNoZXMtY2xvc2VkLWZhY2UtbWFza3Mtd2FzaC1hc2hvcmUtQVBMLUVuZ2xhbmQtbG9zZXMtNDAtc2hpcC1jb250YWluZXJzLmh0bWzSAYsBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGFpbHltYWlsLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZS04MzU5OTg1L2FtcC9TeWRuZXktYmVhY2hlcy1jbG9zZWQtZmFjZS1tYXNrcy13YXNoLWFzaG9yZS1BUEwtRW5nbGFuZC1sb3Nlcy00MC1zaGlwLWNvbnRhaW5lcnMuaHRtbA?oc=5
2020-05-27 09:03:25Z
52780806441788
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Sydney beaches could be closed as face masks wash ashore after APL England loses 40 ship containers - Daily Mail"
Post a Comment