Canada coast guard unable to board cargo ship set on fire

OTTAWA, Oct. 25 - Reuters - Bad weather off the Pacific Coast of Canada on Monday prevented a salvage crew from boarding a cargo ship where several containers of chemicals burned over the weekend, the coast guard said.

Sixteen crew members were evacuated from the MV Zim Kingston on Saturday. Five remained onboard to fight the fire, which was largely under control by late Sunday. The company has appointed a salvage crew but due to the current weather, they have been unable to board the container ship, the coast guard said on Twitter.

The containers continue to smolder and boundary cooling - spraying water on the hull and containers near the fire continues, it added.

The ship is anchored several kilometers miles off the southern coast of British Columbia, in the province of Vancouver Island. The coast guard said there is no impact to human health.

Danaos Shipping Co, the company that manages the ship, said on Sunday that no injuries had been reported on board.