20 containers fell from lighter barge into Canadian sea

On 27 October, 20 containers and undefined “assorted freight” fell into the sea at the Iqaluit port anchorage in Frobisher Bay, southeast Baffin Island, Canada.

According to Maritime Bulletin, Sivumut, a general cargo ship, arrived in Iqaluit anchorage on 23 October from Becancour, Canada, and carried out cargo operations. Containers were dropped not from the ship, but from a lighter barge used in Sivumut cargo handling.

Sivumut is a general cargo ship built in 2010 and sails under the Canadian flag.

After the incident, the Canadian Coast Guard and Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) launched an operation to retrieve the containers from the sea.

“The Coast Guard and Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) staff are attempting to find the freight. The sea cans looked to be floating toward Apex,” stated a Nunavut’s government spokesperson.

Sources: Container News