A commercial vessel ran aground in the Northwest Passage during the weekend, as confirmed by the ship’s owner. The MV Thamesborg, a cargo ship, got stuck near Prince of Wales Island in Nunavut while navigating the Franklin Strait on Saturday, as initially reported by Cabin Radio. Fortunately, no crew members sustained injuries, and there have been no reports of spills, according to Wagenborg, the Dutch company that possesses the vessel.
Damage to the hull and ballast tanks of the stable, grounded ship was discovered during an initial assessment conducted by the Thamesborg’s crew, the company stated. The freighter was transporting industrial carbon blocks from Asia to Baie Comeau, Que., when the incident occurred. The Canadian Coast Guard has dispatched two ships to aid the crew, along with a rescue craft and a helicopter, as mentioned in a separate communication to CBC News on Monday.
Although multiple ballast tanks of the vessel have flooded, the Coast Guard clarified that no flooding has affected the fuel tanks or cargo hold. The cause of the grounding remains unknown, prompting the company to launch an investigation into the matter.