Smoke rises from the container ship Zim Kingston, burning from a fire on board, off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada October 23, 2021. Canadian Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters
The Canadian Coast Guard said it is monitoring a fire that broke out on a container ship off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, and is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation.
"The Canadian Coast Guard received a report around 11am this morning from the MV Zim Kingston that a fire has broken out in the damaged containers onboard," it said in a statement late on Saturday.
According to CBC News, 10 crew members have been evacuated, while 11 members remained onboard. Six containers are ablaze in total, it said.
The report added that the vessel is said to be carrying more than 52,000 kg of xanthates - chemicals used in the mining industry - which includes potassium amylxanthate. Potassium amylxanthate is considered an irritant and an environmental hazard.
Video obtained by Reuters showed fire cascading down from the deck of the ship into the water.
A joint agency response is being coordinated to provide assistance, the Canadian Coast Guard said, adding that an assessment is being made to determine the pollution hazards from the containers.
The bulk carrier M/V Zim Kingston reported on Friday that it had encountered rough weather west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The United States Coast Guard said in a tweet about 40 containers from the vessel had fallen overboard.
