Victoria: In yet another environmental tragedy to hit our oceans, a container ship carrying mining chemicals caught fire on Saturday, expelling toxic gas off the coast of British Columbia, reported news agency Reuters. The Canadian Coast Guard said it was working with the US Coast Guard to assess the situation, including environmental hazards, Reuters added.
All 16 crew members were evacuated from the vessel named MV Zim Kingston, while five remained onboard to fight the fire, the Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement late on Saturday. Ten containers were burning, it said, adding that the fire continued to spread but the ship itself was not on fire.
A video obtained by Reuters showed fire cascading down from the deck of the ship into the water. Watch the devastating video here:
A fire broke out on containers on a cargo ship carrying mining chemicals off British Columbia, and the Canadian Coast Guard said it is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation https://t.co/O4JwaDqIJ9 pic.twitter.com/hKnt7JxH0S
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 24, 2021
The Canadian Coast Guard further said it was working with its US counterpart to track 40 containers that had fallen overboard, saying they pose a significant risk to mariners. “Mariners are advised to stay clear of the area. Currently there is no safety risk to people on shore, however the situation will continue to be monitored,” they said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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