Since Saturday, poisonous gas has been escaping from a Cypriot container ship that caught fire off the Pacific coast between Canada and the United States. The majority of the crew were evacuated and “the fire on the Zim Kingston has been stabilized,” tweeted the Canadian Coast Guard at the end of the day Sunday, after having mobilized several ships all weekend to contain the fire, which took to the front of the freighter.
“Depending on the weather conditions tomorrow (Monday), firefighters specializing in hazardous materials will board the ship to fight any persistent fire and ensure they are extinguished,” continued the coast guard, while a Strong storm is forecast Monday on the North American west coast, from San Francisco to Vancouver.
A fire broke out in 10 containers
Precisely, the Cypriot ship is in the Strait of Juan de Fuca which marks the maritime border between Canada and the United States, explained its owner. He was in these border waters Friday evening “while waiting to be able to access the port of Vancouver, when an extreme meteorological episode caused a significant list of the ship, which resulted in the fall overboard of containers”, summarized the Cypriot shipowner.
It was following this incident that two damaged containers caught fire on Saturday, said the company Danaos, while the Canadian coast guard had indicated Sunday morning that “a fire broke out in 10 containers”. The decision to evacuate was then taken by the captain of the ship and 16 people were evacuated, according to the coast guard. The captain of the container ship “and key personnel remained on board to supervise the fight against the fire,” Danaos said.
40 containers lost in the Pacific Ocean
“Due to the nature of the chemicals on board the container ship, applying water directly to the fire is not an option,” the Canadian Coast Guard said on Twitter. A tug deployed at the site of the fire, the Seaspan Raven, however “cooled the hull of the Zim Kingston by spraying it with cold water” overnight from Saturday to Sunday, added the Canadian authorities.
According to public television, Radio-Canada, 40 containers were lost in the Pacific Ocean and the Canadian Coast Guard and their American counterparts were working together to find them. The container ship carries more than 52 tonnes of chemicals, according to Radio-Canada.
No risk of a toxic tide
The shipowner, the Cypriot company Danaos, announced the dispatch on board of claims adjusters “to ensure that the conditions are met to allow the return” of the 16 crew members who left on Saturday. Five sailors, including the captain, remained on the container ship. “Emergency towing vessels as well as other tugs will help us monitor the situation overnight to ensure that the five crew members of the vessel are safe” and that the vessel remains secure. the Coast Guard said Sunday night.
Although a priori the situation does not present any risks on land, such as an oil spill or a toxic tide, “strong gales are expected in the region” Sunday evening and “the teams will monitor the quality of the sea. air both on the water and from the shore, ”the authorities said in response to concerns raised by the chemical smoke released by the blaze. The Canadian meteorological services warned that “a rather intense fall storm” would hit the Canadian coast as early as Sunday evening with winds of 70 to 90 km / h expected in the region of Victoria (British Columbia), off which it carries. -containers wets.