Oil has started leaking from a bulk carrier stranded on a coral reef near World Heritage-listed waters in the Solomon Islands, local villagers said Wednesday (Feb 20).
The MV Solomon Trader ran aground on Feb 5 while loading bauxite at Rennell Island but heavy seas whipped up by Tropical Cyclone Oma have thwarted salvage attempts.
Locals said the 225-metre vessel was now starting to leak oil.
"We're starting to see a slick," Derek Pongi told AFP. "It's not that big but it's hard to tell because the weather's still rough."
Rennell Island, about 240 kilometres south of the capital Honiara, is the largest raised coral atoll in the world and includes a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pongi said locals feared a major environmental disaster.
Island Sun News reported the Hong Kong-flagged ship's owners Bintan Mining had flown in salvage experts from Australia and the United States.
Officials from neighbouring Australia said they were working with the Solomon Islands government to "hold the responsible company, owners and insurers to account in responding to this maritime incident".
"Australia... has undertaken an overflight inspection of the vessel and supplied the findings to Solomon Islands' authorities," Australia's department of foreign affairs said in a statement.
"(Australia) has also deployed an expert to assist with the Solomon Islands government's next steps."
The officials declined to answer questions on the severity of any oil spill and the prospects for salvage.
The Solomons' National Disaster Management Office, which has reportedly never coordinated a maritime salvage before, was unavailable for comment.