Australia spill ‘10 times worse’

An oil spill along the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia is 10 times worse than originally thought, state authorities said.

A Hong Kong-registered ship damaged by a tropical storm on Wednesday leaked 230 tonnes of oil, not 20-30 tonnes as initially reported, officials said.

…The crisis was sparked when high seas whipped up by Cyclone Hamish toppled 31 containers of ammonium nitrate fertiliser from the deck of the Pacific Adventurer.

As they fell, the containers punctured the hull and released the oil, also taking 620 tonnes of the chemical fertiliser to the ocean floor.

Apart from the oil damage, experts fear the fertiliser could cause harmful algal blooms, suffocate fish and kill natural habitats.

BBC