Cargo ship on fire off Canada spewing toxic gas
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WASHINGTON • A container ship has caught fire and is expelling toxic gas off Canada's Pacific coast, the authorities have said.
The Zim Kingston ship carrying mining chemicals had been bound for Vancouver when the flames erupted, with the fire reported to the coast guard around 11pm local time on Saturday, CBC News said.
"The ship is on fire and expelling toxic gas," the Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement on its website, adding that the vessel remains anchored off the coast of British Columbia.
"An emergency zone has been established at Constance Bank within 1.6km of the anchored container ship Zim Kingston."
It is unclear what caused the blaze.
The coast guard said the ship is carrying more than 52,000kg of chemicals located in two of the containers that are on fire, CBC News said.
Sixteen crew members have been evacuated, while five remained on board to fight the fire.
The coast guard said that 10 containers were still burning, adding that the fire has continued to spread but the ship itself was not on fire.
The agency 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."
Video showed fire cascading down from the deck of the ship into the water.
The Zim Kingston reported last Friday that it had encountered rough weather west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
