Oil slick ship could break up: NZ PM

TAURANGA, New Zealand -Fears grew on Wednesday that a ship stuck on a New Zealand reef would break up and release a new wave of pollution, as its two chief officers were charged over the nation's worst oil spill.

Prime Minister John Key said cracks had been found in the hull of the stricken container ship Rena, and the situation was precarious, with the boat teetering at a steep angle in stormy seas.

"We have identified stress fractures on the ship. We can't rule out the risk of the ship breaking up, that's certainly being monitored," he told reporters near Tauranga, where already beaches have been fouled and wildlife found dead.