Society

Damaged Chinese coal carrier leaves Australia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-31 14:34

SYDNEY - The stricken Chinese coal carrier Shen Neng 1 has left central Queensland bound for China.

Related readings:  Grounded Chinese coal carrier start pump out oil

The ship ran aground on Douglas Shoal on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Rockhampton in central Queensland in early April, leaking more than two tons of oil into the sea.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters on Monday she was glad the vessel was finally leaving Queensland waters.

Bligh praised the efforts of authorities and those involved in the salvage of the vessel.

She said salvage crews had managed to avoid a major oil spill and remove the coal from the vessel without environmental damage.

"This could have been a terrible environmental disaster - the salvage teams and the expertise that they used have just done a great job.

"I think people will be looking at this as a textbook example of how to manage it if something like this happens somewhere else in the world."