Panamanian container ship runs aground enroute to Port of Montreal

TROIS-RIVIERES, Que. — The Government of Canada is closely monitoring Panamanian ship MSC Sabrina which has run aground in Trois-Rivires and will study the final lightering plan as soon as it is received. The plan must be prepared by the ship’s owner and submitted to Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard for assessment.

The MSC Sabrina was heading to the Port of Montral when its southern side struck ground along section 20 of the Port of Trois-Rivires March 8. Three refloating attempts were made using a number of tugboats, all to no avail.

Throughout the process to remove the ship, government authorities are making sure that safety and regulatory aspects are respected. Moreover, they are ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken to reduce the risk of possible marine pollution.

No pollution has been observed in this case, the ship is stable and the crew is safe. As such, the ship’s owner has the time needed to submit a lightering plan, within a timeframe deemed acceptable by government experts.

Government authorities are monitoring the situation and will be keeping the public informed of operations in due time. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is responsible for investigating the cause of the incident.