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SYDNEY: A Chinese captain whose ship ran aground and leaked oil on Australia's world-famous Great Barrier Reef has provoked anger by claiming the spill was not serious, a report said Wednesday.
Captain Wang Jichang also complained rescuers working to stop the stranded coal-carrier breaking up and spewing more oil were using up the Shen Neng 1's food and drinking water, Brisbane's Courier Mail newspaper said.
"The leakage is not very serious so far. So far he (Captain Wang) cannot see the oil on the sea," Brisbane's Chinese consul-general Ren Gongping told the newspaper after talking to Wang.
"They need some more water because the rescue team is consuming the water and food. They need that. That is a problem at the moment," he added.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was disappointed at the comments after the Shen Neng 1 leaked about three tonnes of fuel oil, creating a slick three kilometres (two miles) long.
"If the Chinese crew are under any illusions that this is a minor incident, I'm sure that when they get off the boat and see what the world has to say they'll understand a bit more clearly just how serious this is," she said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called it "absolutely outrageous" that the 230-metre (750 feet) ship could have veered off-course and grounded in one of the world's most celebrated and delicate natural environments.
"This is absolutely outrageous how this could've happened," Rudd told local radio on Wednesday.
"Here you have this massive boat, this massive ship ... off course, broad daylight, in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. So we'll be demanding some answers on this one."
Emergency workers are preparing to pump nearly 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the badly damaged ship, which was en route to China carrying some 65,000 tonnes of coal when it grounded on Saturday.
Chemical dispersants have broken up the initial spill and tugboats have been sent to hold the ship steady and stop it grinding across the reef.
Booming resources shipments have made China Australia's top trading partner.
- AFP/yb
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