New Zealand spill is "worst maritime environmental disaster"

The oil spill off the coast of New Zealand has been named as the country's "worst maritime environmental disaster".

Oil is spilling from a stranded cargo ship near New Zealand, with officials claiming that 300 tonnes has now leaked from the stricken vessel.

The container ship Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef, off the Tauranga coast, last Wednesday, though work has been halted and crews evacuated as a result of bad weather and large swells.

Environment minister Nick Smith said the situation is likely to become "significantly worse".

"This event has come to a stage where it is New Zealand's most significant maritime environmental disaster," the BBC reported him as saying.

 The rate of oil escaping from the stricken cargo ship has increased fivefold in the days since it ran aground, with authorities now warning people not to visit nearby beaches or eat seafood from the area.