Following a report that a fire had broken out in 10 containers on the ZIM Kingston, efforts are now underway to locate lost containers that are adrift in the ocean.
In a social media post from the Canadian Coast Guard, it revealed that it is working closely with US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest to track the movements of containers from the 4,253 TEU container vessel that were lost following the fire.
The containers are said to be drifting approximately 12NM east of Vancouver Island on a Northwest trajectory, parallel with the island.
The fire on the ZIM Kingston container vessel broke out near Victoria, British Columbia on 24 October 2021 and led to the evacuation of 16 people. Firefighting efforts have been underway since.
In the most recent update from the Canadian Coast Guard, at 11:30am local time on 25 October, the vessel was continuing to smoulder but there were no longer any visible signs of flames in the containers. However, firefighters may find some active fire in the containers once they are able to board the ship.
#CCGLive – A Coast Guard overflight of the #ZimKingston at 11:30 today shows smoldering but no visible flames in the containers. However, firefighters may find some active fire in the containers once they are able to board the ship. pic.twitter.com/PHjfjf6Fg7
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) October 25, 2021