Fire Breaks Out On Containership Off Canada

A fire has broken out on board a Liberian-registered containership off Canada's East Coast, the Canadian Coast Guard said.

At around 11 p.m. on Sunday, the MSC Sao Paulo V issued a call for help after a blaze erupted in the engine room of the 294-meter-long vessel. The ship had left Montréal in the morning and was approaching the Les Escoumins pilot station while en route to Portugal when the incident occurred.

By Monday afternoon, the containership crew had informed the Coast Guard that the fire was under control, and the vessel managed to anchor near the entrance to the Saguenay Fjord, at Cap de Granit.

No injuries or pollution risks have been reported, and the Coast Guard said it continues to monitor the situation closely. The moored ship is not interfering with commercial navigation.

Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen is on scene alongside Ocean Group tug Ocean Taiga, based in Quebec City, to assist as needed. Two Laurentian Pilotage Authority pilot boats had also been on scene but left on Monday afternoon.

The MSC Sao Paulo V crew did not evacuate. On Monday afternoon and evening, however, crew members traveled aboard MSC Don Giovanni to rest. 

On Tuesday morning, a specialized team of American firefighters, called in as reinforcements by the MSC company, boarded the ship to assess the situation.