105 containers that fell off cargo ship believed to have sunk: coast guard

VICTORIA – The Canadian Coast Guard says it believes that many, if not all, of the 109 containers that fell from a cargo ship off Victoria in late October have sunk.

The containers were tossed from the MV Zim Kingston during a storm near the entrance to the Juan de Fuca Strait around the time a fire broke out on the vessel.

The coast guard says in a statement that four containers, carrying fridges and running shoes, washed ashore on northern Vancouver Island but there is no sign of the others.

The agency says it is working with the ship’s owner to determine the next steps and the feasibility of trying to locate the 105 missing containers.

Danaos Shipping, which manages the Zim Kingston, declined to comment.

The statement says weather, high tides and storm swells have been a significant factor in crews attempting to clean up northern Vancouver Island beaches where four of the containers landed.

The Transportation Safety Board says it is investigating the fire that broke out on the freighter.

Feature image: Ships work to control a fire onboard the MV Zim Kingston about eight kilometres from the shore in Victoria, B.C., on Sunday, October 24, 2021. The container ship caught fire on Saturday and 16 crew members were evacuated and brought to Ogden Point Pier. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito