OPERATOR of Crimson Polaris, NYK, has apologised for last week’s grounding and oil spill and said it would dispatch a team of 10 to clean up the oil spill from the vessel.
The dedicated woodchip carrier Crimson Polaris ran aground last week in heavy weather. It was towed away from the coast, where a crack developed in the hull and the vessel broke in half. All 21 crew were reported safe.
NYK said it was “deeply concerned” that the accident caused concern to the nearby municipalities, fishermen, business partners and other parties. “We apologise for the inconvenience,” the company said in a statement.
The company said oil and cargo had washed ashore and were being cleaned by a company under the guidance of the Maritime Disaster Prevention Centre, which is designated by the Japan Coast Guard.
NYK said it had organised a crisis-management centre, lead by the company’s president Hitoshi Nagasawa to address the situation.
