More than 100 shipping containers fell from crippled cargo ship off B.C. coast
The severity of a marine disaster off Vancouver Island is far worse than first reported, according to internal coast guard communications obtained by CTV News.
The emails sent on Tuesday evening show the cargo ship Zim Kingston's owner underestimated the number of shipping containers that fell from the vessel during a storm.
Originally, the Canadian Coast Guard reported that 40 containers fell from the ship in heavy seas and high winds Friday, but now it appears there are more than 100 containers drifting off Vancouver Island.
"The owner now believes that 109 containers were lost in the initial event," one email says.
The email also confirmed that only two of the containers are believed to have dangerous goods inside them.
The updated number comes after the owner of the vessel provided information showing 2,000 containers were on board with 1,000 on deck when two caught fire and others fell overboard as the ship approached Vancouver last week.
In a situation update Wednesday afternoon, the coast guard confirmed that 109 containers were lost.
The stricken Zim Kingston vessel remains anchored off Victoria. Shortly after the containers slipped overboard, the vessel also suffered a serious fire inside containers on the ship. The fire continues to smoulder in containers at the bottom of a large stack.
Crews attacked flare-ups inside individual containers overnight, which didn't spread, and they continued to look for hot spots on Wednesday, coast guard official Paul Barrett said.
Air quality monitoring has not found any contaminants of concern at levels that put public health at risk, provincial incident commander Zachery Scher said.
'CONTAINERS WILL HAVE ALREADY SUNK OR WILL SINK'
Deputy federal incident commander Mariah McCooey said three of the lost containers have washed up on a beach in Cape Scott on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.
A flyover was planned Wednesday starting from where the containers were lost and following the path where they've been spotted and are projected to drift.
Due to vents on the containers that allow water in, the coast guard does not expect many of the boxes will be recovered.
“It is command speculation that containers will have already sunk or will sink," a coast guard email says. "Command speculation does not expect any containers to be found / recovered at this point."
The coast guard's unified command now has a list of contents from all containers identified as having gone overboard.
Contents include Christmas decorations, sofas, poker tables, metal car parts, clothing, toys, yoga mats, stand-up paddleboards, industrial parts and other miscellaneous items.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.