VANCOUVER ISLAND

Tamil migrant ship MV Sun Sea dismantled in Nanaimo

Published Tuesday, December 3, 2019 8:31AM PST Last Updated Tuesday, December 3, 2019 3:47PM PST

The MV Sun Sea is shown being escorted past Fisgard Lighthouse and into CFB Esquimalt in Colwood, B.C., Friday, Aug. 13, 2010. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

Text:

VICTORIA -- An infamous cargo ship once filled with asylum seekers has been dismantled on Nanaimo's waterfront and trucked away.

Canadian Maritime Engineering says the Sri Lanka-based MV Sun Sea has been disassembled and removed from the former Nanaimo Shipyard property.

The 770-tonne ship had 492 asylum seekers aboard when it was intercepted by Canadian naval authorities and towed to Esquimalt in August 2010.

It has since been in Nanaimo and CME began disposing of the derelict vessel in October after securing a $4.1 million contract from the federal government.