6 March 2019

The insurer and owner of the ship responsible for one of Solomon Islands' worst man-made disasters have apologised to the people of the country.

...In a statement, the insurer, Korea P&I Club, and the owner, King Trading Ltd, apologised for the grounding and said they had deep remorse.

They said while matters of liability were still being determined, the spill had caused unnecessary coastal damage.

The statement said the response was slowed by Rennell's isolation, a loss of the ship's power, the looting of equipment and poor weather.

However, salvage crews were now working with experts deployed from around the world, it said.

Efforts to pump the remaining 600 tonnes of oil off the ship would begin as soon as a barge arrived from Vanuatu.