Rena is split in two with a 20-30m gap between the pieces - both of which are still on the Astrolabe Reef.
Maritime New Zealand is reporting the stern section of the vessel has broken away and is moving significantly.
A photo of Rena taken during an overflight on Sunday, January 8 shows the two sections of the ship have broken apart. Photo: MNZ/LOC
The forward section remains in place on the reef where the ship grounded on October 5.
Rena seperated overnight during a storm which battered the once 236m container ship with 6m swells.
More containers fell into the sea during the storm, but it is not known how many.
MNZ may extend its three nautical mile exclusion zone.
A response team has been activated to handle the potential release of oil from the broken vessel and is on standby to treat any affected wildlife.
Weather conditions continue to be poor with storms forecast for the next 3-4 days.
The stern section of Rena, hammered by swells of up to 6m this morning, Sunday January 8. Photo: MNZ/LOC.
If you have information or latest photographs of the Rena please contact us at newsroom@thesun.co.nz or contact 0800 SUNLIVE.
17 comments
Where are the posers?
Posted on 08-01-2012 10:43 | By Openknee8ted
Before the election we had the PM, Leader of the opposition and the hanger on MP's from National crawling around searching for photo ops and TV Time. Now they have got back in power their true colours have come out. In 3 years they will return to tell us what a wonderful job they did sorting the Rena problem and complain that there is no Kiwi fruit on their Pavlova.
Well done sunlive
Posted on 08-01-2012 11:25 | By ShadE
NZ Herald hasn't even broken the story yet, stuff was behind in breaking too.
Pull your horns in Open
Posted on 08-01-2012 11:29 | By kiwiwayno
Mate you need to pull your horns in and get your facts straight before shooting from the hip with your comments. If you care enough to "follow" our local MPs through the many channels available you will already know that several are on their way to the Cordination Centre. What more do you want them to do?
lets be positive now!
Posted on 08-01-2012 11:30 | By Bopsta
So the Rena has finally succumbed. How fortunate it stayed together long enough to drain it of oil, to lift most of the containers of the decks and to prepare contingency plans for it breaking in two. If it had broken in half after the first two weeks we would have had a much bigger mess to deal with.
oh dear Stuart it did break!
Posted on 08-01-2012 11:33 | By Raptor
Right from the start it was a case of 'nero fiddles while rome burns', but what is really amazing about this debacle - apart from the stupidity of the ships crew - is the way that the 'authorities' and politicians who are responsible for this situation (directly and in-directly) have recently tried to re-write history with their own version of events in their media PR campaign to placate the residents of the region into believing that 'it wasn't our fault', and 'we are and were doing everything we possibly could. Still haven't heard much from the local harbour master - well nothing that i have seen in the media anyway.
the world has continued to turn since the Rena hit the reef
Posted on 08-01-2012 12:00 | By magictorch
What did you expect the PM to do, move into your spare room waiting for the day the Rena broke up ?
What a load of crap!
Posted on 08-01-2012 12:08 | By TheCameltoeKid
I suppose Openknee8ed is one of the maritime experts who thought all the oil could be pumped off the next day as well. I would assume you blame John Key for the grounding too. Why don't you complain about more relevant issues like that woman from Omokoroa who moaned about the noise the coffee machine makes in her cafe. I do agree about Phil Goff though, he is a bit of an oxygen thief.
Posted on 08-01-2012 12:14 | By whatsinaname
with a bit of luck she will roll over and sink............ I totally agree with you Openknee8ted. Yea where are they now...........
@ Openknee8ted
Posted on 08-01-2012 13:08 | By flowerkiwi
Oh so true, where are they now on holiday with their huge pay rises!! Bloody hopeless...
What could they have done
Posted on 08-01-2012 15:36 | By My Bit
Ok open as you are4 such an expert in marine salvaging please take a bit of time to tell us what the hell they were supposed top do
how is it it political fault
Posted on 08-01-2012 15:49 | By Rik
Here a foreign ship (Rena) runs aground on astrolabe reef. This seems to be a human error fault by the captan or navigation officer. How can this be a fault by politics. No point of the PM being in Tauranga cause what can he do? Not Much. Leave it to the salvage crew they are doing a very good job on cleaning it up. By the way I would to see any of you try be PM for NZ and see how you would cope its easy when sitting on couch.
totally agree with kiwiwayno
Posted on 08-01-2012 15:58 | By scratcherbop
Processes are in place,work done to date in difficult conditions is to be commended, none of us wanted this to happen,but carrying on about politians,officials and payrises is going to do no good, lets celebrate the work done to date and pat all the volunteers on the back as it looks likely they willbe needed in the coming days
blue camels??
Posted on 08-01-2012 17:20 | By macca1940
Hey cameltoekid always get a dig in about some other politican & protect the blue boy ,I think you are looking through those rose tinted glasses abit too often & comments like yours should be thrown out the window where they belong macca99
what if
Posted on 08-01-2012 17:54 | By tonyb1
I dont understand why the salvage has taken do long, however I know nothing about salvage, it appears to me that we are the busiest port in the country and tourism is a major part of the local buisness, I dont think we had a proper plan in place in the event of this type of disaster We make petrol stations have a plan in place, and most other commercial organisations. Did we have a plan in place ? I actually think is was made up as we went along maybe a levy on all commercial ships using the port should be charged as an enviromental tax I am sorry but the white collar dorks who seem to have the most to say should be the one's who are asked if they had ever considered what if Has TCC got any shares in the port ?
Posted on 08-01-2012 18:36 | By len barron
why didnt they get real experts .like fron the usa or elsewhere .this sort of thing or something similar must have happened before. maybe got the rena out of the water by now .did the goverment really try this or left it to maritime nz .now the coast of the bay is about to get hammered.again
huh
Posted on 08-01-2012 19:29 | By Capt_Kaveman
why are the lids open or missing? 6m swells yeah right half that maybe reason why they should have worked around the clock while the weather was good, i think they want it to sink by the reef re holds are open missing still se no compensation from the port of Tga for stuffing my beach, council could fine you for taking sand riding m bikes on beach etc etc by do nothing when it get totaly rooted by oil is ok im a shamed to be a kiwi over this
open knee
Posted on 09-01-2012 05:41 | By Jack the Lad
try keeping them together,and the positive thing is maybe the Rena is finally gone, well its rear end has slipped into something more comfortable anyway. The Bay has averted a disaster, more by sheer good luck, than Maritime NZ management, as this could very well have happened in the 1st storm 6 days after she ran aground, so lets be a little positive about it, as we all know it should not have occurred, but it has!!!!, so lets do what us kiwis do, put our heads down and work to rid our beaches and ocean of any floaters.
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