WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Salvage crews have resumed pumping oil from a stricken cargo ship teetering on a reef off the New Zealand coast a week after abandoning an earlier attempt due to bad weather.
But the condition of the vessel Rena is precarious, and more bad weather predicted for Monday night could hamper or even end salvage attempts. The ship has major structural cracks and experts say it could break apart or slip from the reef at any time.
The Rena grounded Oct. 5 on the Astrolabe reef 14 miles from Tauranga Harbour on New Zealand’s North Island.
So far, crews have managed to pump about 34 tons of fuel from the ship. Maritime New Zealand estimates 350 tons of fuel has spilled into the ocean while more than 1,400 tons remains on board.
About 1,250 sea birds have died in the spill.
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