Transportation Safety Board now investigating week-long fire aboard container ship off B.C. coast
Fire was reported after freighter was caught in storm that also tossed more than 100 containers overboard
A team from the Transportation Safety Board has been assigned to investigate the fire that destroyed containers aboard a freighter now moored off the south coast of Vancouver Island.
A statement from the board says the team will "gather information and assess the occurrence'' aboard the MV Zim Kingston.
The fire was reported in a row of containers stacked on the deck of the ship shortly after the vessel was caught in a severe storm on Oct. 22, near the entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait.
That storm also swept 109 other containers into the ocean, most of which are still missing. The few that washed ashore on northern Vancouver Island beaches have left a swath of debris ranging from refrigerators to running shoes.
The fire aboard the vessel took about a week to contain.
Danaos Shipping, which manages the Zim Kingston, said Tuesday that nearly 2,000 containers still stored on the ship are safe and will be unloaded once a berth is found.
The Transportation Safety Board investigates marine, air, pipeline and rail transportation occurrences, issues public reports if warranted and can make recommendations to address any safety deficiencies identified by its teams.