Master of ship in reef strike held up report

THE master of a Chinese coal carrier that cut a long gash in the Great Barrier Reef did not alert authorities for an hour and a half, investigators said yesterday.

By The Newsroom

Published 16th Apr 2010, 01:17 BST

Updated 16th Apr 2010, 02:30 BST

A report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the Shen Neng 1 hit the reef just after 5pm on 3 April, but it was not until 6:40pm that the master reported the grounding.