According to the Canadian Coast Guard, 109 shipping containers that fell off a shipping vessel during a storm in late October have sunk to the bottom of the ocean; officials are attempting to locate 105 of them.
The containers were tossed near the entrance to the Juan de Fuca Strait around the same time a fire broke out on the MV Zim Kingston vessel on October 25th.
A total of 109 shipping containers were tossed from the ship; at least four were spotted with their items scattered along Vancouver Island’s coast at the end of October.
The coast guard said weather, high tides and storm swells have been significant factors affecting crews attempting to clean up the beaches where four of the containers landed.
A list of the items lost is not yet available from Danaos Shipping, which manages the Zim Kingston, but the coast guard previously said, and photos suggest, that containers held Christmas decorations, sofas, appliances, clothing, car parts, toys, and everyday items.
Of the missing containers, two contain dangerous mining goods.
The coast guard is working with the ship’s owner to determine the next steps and the feasibility of trying to locate the 105 missing containers.
The Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the fire that broke out on the freighter.
