The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says the Zim Kingston accident in 2021 raises questions about the adequacy of Canadian resources in emergencies that could pose risks to marine vessels, the environment and the general public.
TSB issued that warning during a news conference Wednesday releasing its investigation into the accident. In October 2021, the Zim Kingston lost 109 containers overboard off the west coast of Vancouver Island and subsequently caught fire near Victoria, British Columbia.
“This type of accident is not just a maritime accident; the effects are far-reaching and long-lasting,” Kathy Fox, chair of the TSB, said during the news conference in Vancouver. “The consequences of such accidents threaten marine ecosystems and endanger vessels and their crews, as well as the health and safety of both Canadians and those beyond our borders.”
The Greek-owned Kingston vessel was on long-term charter to ocean carrier Zim (NYSE: ZIM), sailing from Busan, South Korea, to Vancouver with a full capacity of 4,253 twenty-foot equivalent units.
The vessel tipped in high seas about 30 miles south of Ucluelet, British Columbia, experiencing what’s known as parametric rolling, officials said. The rolling caused 109 containers to fall into waters near the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
About 36 hours after the loss of the containers, the Zim Kingston anchored off Vancouver Island’s Port of Victoria. While the vessel was anchored, a fire broke out in containers on board the ship. At one point, 10 containers were on fire, two of which contained potassium amyl xanthate, a hazardous material used in mining.
The fire took almost five days to put out, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
The TSB said that unlike the United States, Canada does not require carriers to have prearranged plans for fire response or marine salvage.
“This occurrence brought to the forefront the challenges that Canada faces when dealing with marine emergencies that go beyond the response capacity of the vessel crew, including the availability of resources to respond to vessel fires and incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances,” Yoan Marier, a TSB board member, said during the news conference.
“This contractor was quickly able to contact two foreign-flagged vessels with firefighting capabilities that happened to be in Victoria at the time. Our investigation found that the fire response followed industry standards and was conducted efficiently. The contract between the ship’s manager and the U.S.-based marine salvage and response contractor meant that there was rapid access to emergency specialists who provided guidance and to a team of trained personnel who were able to board the vessel and contain the fire.”
Fox said having preestablished salvage and response arrangements can improve emergency preparedness.
“In this occurrence, it was extremely fortunate that the vessel’s manager had made prearrangements for emergency response and that there happened to be suitably equipped vessels nearby. It is important not to mistake this luck for emergency preparedness. The next time we might not be as lucky,” Fox said.
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More than 97% of debris from the 109 containers that fell overboard from the Zim Kingston remains in the ocean, TSB said.
“Containers lost at sea are a hazard to navigation while floating, and once they drift ashore or sink and break apart, they can become a risk to coastal environments and marine habitats,” Fox said. “As of January of this year, the ongoing beach cleanups in British Columbia have found new debris that is likely from the Zim Kingston along large stretches of the coastline. The freshness of the debris suggests that the containers continued to release their contents.”
The TSB report said the federal government intends to create a single system to respond to all marine pollution incidents. Transport Canada is developing regulations to strengthen preparedness requirements for the industry, which could take up to four years.
Fox said there needs to be more urgent and effective action before another incident occurs.
“The board is concerned that there are gaps in Canada’s preparedness for marine emergencies that exceed the response capacity of the vessels’ crew, posing a risk to vessels, the environment, and the health and safety of the general public,” Fox said. “It’s not a matter of if but when a similar incident will occur, and the question is, will Canada be prepared for it?”