Australian officials have arrested the captain and chief officer of a Chinese coal ship which ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. The captain, 47, has been charged with liability for damage to a marine park, while his colleague, 44, was allegedly on watch when the Shen Neng 1 grounded, BBC reports.
Officials say the ship leaked tonnes of oil and caused extensive damaged to the fragile coral of the marine reserve.
The men face large fines and up to three years in prison if found guilty.
Environmental officials say it could take 20 years for the reef to recover.
Australia's Federal Police said the two Chinese men, who have not been named, were arrested on board the ship and would appear in court in Gladstone on Thursday.
The bulk carrier is believed to have been taking an illegal shortcut when it ran aground on 3 April on its way to China from the port of Gladstone in Queensland.
In a statement, police said their investigations had found that the Shen Neng 1 had "failed to turn at a waypoint required by the intended course of the ship".
Salvage crews pumped some 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil off the ship before it was refloated on Monday and towed to safe anchorage.
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