Fire burns aboard container ship off British Columbia

VICTORIA, British Columbia — A occurrence is burning successful respective containers aboard a cargo vessel disconnected Canada’s Pacific seashore state of British Columbia.

The Canadian Coast Guard said it received connection precocious Saturday greeting that a occurrence had breached retired successful 10 damaged containers aboard the MV Zim Kingston, which is present anchored astir 5 miles disconnected the provincial superior of Victoria, and that 2 of the burning containers incorporate hazardous worldly identified arsenic potassium amylxanthate.

The seashore defender notes that the vessel itself is not connected fire, but said an exigency portion has been acceptable up for 1 nautical mile astir the Zim Kingston, adding determination is presently nary information hazard to radical connected shore.

The Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre successful Victoria says 16 crewmembers person been safely taken disconnected the ship, portion 5 others, including the captain, stay connected committee astatine their ain behest.

Canadian Coast Guard spokeswoman Michelle Imbeau says an Incident Command Post led by the Coast Guard connected behalf of the national and British Columbia’s governments, arsenic good arsenic First Nations representatives, is coordinating a multi-agency effect to the incident.

She said the Command Post is besides moving with the U.S. Coast Guard to show 40 containers that fell overboard from the Zim Kingston successful choppy waters connected Friday, and are presently floating astir 12 nautical miles disconnected the westbound seashore of Vancouver Island, adjacent Bamfield, British Columbia.

The Coast Guard said the containers, immoderate of which incorporate hazardous material, airs a important hazard to mariners, and that with stormy upwind successful Sunday’s forecast, recovering them whitethorn beryllium a challenge.

It said a Hazmat unit from Vancouver is mobilizing and that the proprietor of the Zim Kingston has contracted the U.S. based Resolve Marine Group for salvage operations, including occurrence warring arsenic good arsenic the betterment of the containers.