Container ship MOL Prestige has suffered an engine fire and is adrift 207nm SW of Haida Gwaii, reports Victoria JRCC CCCOS‏.

The vessel was en route from Vancouver to Japan when the fire broke out.

Containership MOL Prestige adrift off Haida Gwaii after engine fire; Two crewmembers airlifted
Caption: Container ship MOL Prestige - Image courtesy of Hannes van Rijn

The crew was able to put out the fire but several crew members were injured. Two of them have been transported to a hospital in Queen Charlotte City by a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter.

The ship is now disabled, adrift, awaiting tug to be towed to nearest port.

An American oil tanker responded to their distress call and is on the scene, waiting in case anything else happens. They will be relieved by the Canadian Coast Guard ship the Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

According to a spokesperson at the Joint Rescue Command Centre in Victoria, MOL has arranged for an ocean-going tug from Foss Maritime to tow the MOL Prestige to an as-yet-undetermined port.

The Denise Foss, based in Neah Bay, Wash., is en route and is expected to arrive by 6 p.m. Saturday.

Source: VancouverSun