Crew members rescued as container ship burns off B.C. coast
A cargo ship was burning in the waters south of Victoria on Saturday, hours after the vessel dropped 40 shipping containers into the ocean west of Vancouver Island.
The coast guard was notified of the fire aboard the Zim Kingston around 11 a.m. Saturday.
Ten crew members were rescued from the vessel before 6 p.m. while six others were removed approximately an hour later, leaving five crew aboard overnight, according to a spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria.
"The crew is mustered near their own lifeboats but the master hasn't made the call yet to abandon ship," said JRCC spokesperson Lt. Pamela Hogan.
No injuries had been reported Saturday evening.
The fire was sparked inside two containers of hazardous and readily combustible material that were damaged when the ship was tossed by rising seas Friday afternoon, according to the coast guard.
"Crew tried to put it out earlier today but they couldn’t do it themselves," Hogan said.
By late Saturday evening, 10 containers were burning, including two containers of potassium amyl xanthate, a chemical compound used in the mining industry, the coast guard said.
The Malta-flagged vessel was inbound for Vancouver when it listed to one side, dropping the containers into the ocean near the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The coast guard responds to the fire aboard the Zim Kingston off Victoria. (CTV News)
"The situation is evolving," coast guard spokesperson Michelle Imbeau said Saturday evening. "Coast guard has been standing by making sure life and limb are OK."
Two coast guard vessels and an auxiliary firefighting vessel have been monitoring the ship and its burning cargo. Flames and heavy smoke were visible from the Victoria shoreline throughout the day.
"When the crew has evacuated, when there are no people left on the vessel, then they'll do some oceanside firefighting," Hogan said.
Coast guard officials from both Canada and the United States issued warnings to mariners to keep clear of the Zim Kingston due to the danger of smoke and falling cargo.
A Transport Canada surveillance plane circled the smouldering vessel for much of the day Saturday.
The containers were adrift approximately 69 kilometres west of Vancouver Island just before 3 p.m. Friday, according to U.S. officials. (USCG)
The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center sent out a broadcast to mariners Friday afternoon warning that the lost shipping containers may be partially submerged and not easily visible from the ocean's surface.
"Mariners should exercise extreme caution" when transiting the region, the centre warned.
The Canadian Coast Guard also sent out a notice on NavWarn about the debris drifting approximately 69 kilometres west of Vancouver Island.
Eight of the lost containers had been located Friday evening, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard's 13th District in Seattle, Wash.
At least two of the lost containers contain hazardous materials that could spontaneously combust, the spokesperson said.
The District of Tofino warned ocean-goers to "take extreme caution" due to the drifting containers over the weekend, saying on its Twitter account that the coast guard was monitoring the containers off the west side of the island.
"Some of these containers contain hazardous materials," the district said. "If spotted, please avoid and do not approach."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.