The condition of a crippled cargo ship stuck on a New Zealand reef for three months has worsened.
Containers washed off the wrecked container ship Rena in heavy seas and wind overnight.
"The break in the Rena has opened further but she may still be connected underwater," Maritime New Zealand said on Sunday.
The ship was stranded on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga in October. It remains firmly grounded on the reef but the aft section is moving more than the forward part of the wreck.
A least two containers have washed overboard in recent days and more may follow, causing authorities to scan shipping lanes with sonar to determine if they are clear.
Timber and packets of milk powder have washed ashore on Motiti Island.
The Bay of Plenty Times reported Papamoa Beach lifeguards were gathering up dozens of export lamb carcasses on Saturday.
The surf club's head life guard Shaun Smith suspected the appearance of the rotten meat was the reason many sharks had been sighted in the shallows.
Salvors and Maritime New Zealand have been out to the ship on Sunday.
