Three months ago we called the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Rena and its perilously-tilted containers a "disaster frozen in time." Over the weekend the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand's history unfroze when a storm split the ship in two.
The Rena originally shipwrecked off the coast of New Zealand in October when it was pushed onto a reef by strong currents and poor navigation. It immediately began leaking oil and knocking many of its 1,368 containers into the ocean. The fear at the time was some of the ship's hazardous material containers would spill into the ocean.
Video and photos from the disaster show the two ends of the ship drift even further apart. Government officials say the two ends are now roughly 120 feet apart and they expect a release of more containers and oil soon.