HONG KONG — Anger rose in Australia on Tuesday, including some blunt language from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, over the off-course Chinese coal freighter that beached on the Great Barrier Reef last weekend and threatens to befoul its pristine corals with leaking fuel oil.

Mr. Rudd on Tuesday flew over the stricken vessel, which had strayed at least 12 kilometers, or seven and a half miles, outside the authorized shipping channel, and promised afterward a full investigation to identify and punish those responsible. He noted that the captain could be subject to up to three years in prison if found negligent and that the vessel’s owners could be liable for a fine exceeding $5 million.

“From where I sit, it is outrageous that any vessel could find itself 12 kilometers off course, it seems, in the Great Barrier Reef,” he told Australian news organizations after the flyover. Mr. Rudd also said that Australia would review the adequacy of its marine safety regulations.

The vessel, the Shen Neng 1, ran aground late Saturday at full speed near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.