Around 60 percent of the fuel oil aboard a damaged container ship grounded off a World Heritage Site coast has been removed, officials said. The 62,000 ton MSC Napoli, listing a mile off Sidmouth, east Devon, was carrying 3,500 tons of fuel oil when she was grounded there the weekend before last. By yesterday 2,105 tons of fuel had been removed, and pumping was continuing round the clock, said Zodiac Maritime Agencies (ZMA) of London. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) senior coastguard Derek Smith said the removal of the oil was the salvage operation's top priority. The decision to ground the Napoli was made amid fears she could go down under tow to Portland, Dorset, following a Channel storm in which her 26 crew were rescued.
