A container ship burns off the coast of British Columbia; 16 crew members were evacuated

Ship Zim Kingston is located in the Juana de Fuca Strait, on the border between Canada and the United States, according to information provided on the MarineTraffic website.

Canadian Coast Guard reported on Saturday Sunday on Twitter that 16 people were evacuated from the unit by two lifeboats "after the fire broke out in 10 containers". Five people stay on board and fight fire.

"In the course of fire-fighting activities, an area of threat around the ship (one nautical mile radius – AFP) has been designated. There is currently no threat to people on land, but the situation is monitored" – it was transmitted.

"The fire situation is dynamic and to manage it, an incident command post was created. The services are determined to master the fire and recover the containers that fell off the ship on Friday," she pointed out Coast Guard. As added, it is 40 containers.

Danaos Shipping, a shipowner of Zim Kingston, told Reuters that it was not reported that "anyone was injured". It was added that the fire "seemed to be contained" and the rescue and fire services ensured the safe return of the crew.

"This is very disturbing. Ship and containers are very close to the city of Victoria, and on Sunday evening is forecast strong storm. We are worried that there may be another ecological disaster," said David Boudinot, president of the Surfrider Foundation Canada in an interview with Reuters.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Canadian Coast Guard cooperates with the US to assess the situation, including environmental risks.

The container was carrying more than 52 tons of chemicals; some of them were in containers that caught fire, said Radio Canada, citing the coast guard.

Source: PAP