The bulk carrier Kure Harbour is seen in this undated handout photo. A vessel has run aground off Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian Coast Guard tweeted that the bulk carrier Kure Harbour ran aground near Argentia Saturday morning. The coast guard says the ship is operational, the crew is safe and no pollution has been reported.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, McKeil Marine *MANDATORY CREDIT*
April 08, 2017 - 9:00 PM
ARGENTIA, N.L. - A vessel that ran aground near Newfoundland and Labrador has been freed.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says that bulk carrier Kure Harbour was freed from a shoal near Argentia Saturday evening.
The vessel ran aground in Placentia Bay Saturday morning.
DFO spokesperson Sam Whiffen says the ship is under its own power and no pollution or injuries have been reported.
The owner of the Kure Harbour is arranging to have divers examine the hull for damage.
Larry Crann, a senior response officer with the Canadian Coast Guard, says the vessel was lifting its anchor when strong winds caused it to run aground.
The ship was headed toward Argentia to pick up a load of scrap steel, he says.
The 190 metre vessel had no cargo on board and was carrying 580 metric tonnes of fuel, says Crann.
Crann says the ship is registered in Panama and is owned by Hong Kong-based company Pacific Basin Shipping Limited.
A tug boat secured a tow line to the Kure Harbour, with a second tug and a pilot boat on standby, says Crann. He says the coast guard monitored the situation as crews waited for rising tides to free the ship.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it is sending investigators to assess the incident.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017