UPDATE:
The fate of the Amakusa Island, which ran aground on Monday night and is heavily listing in Prince Rupert's outer harbour, has yet to be determined.
Prince Rupert Port Authority manager of corporate communications Michael Gurney said the ship, which is loaded with 80,000 metric tonnes of coal, suffered damage to the hull that caused the vessel to take on water.
"We're not sure how much water was taken on, but the damage to the hull caused two buoyancy compartments to be compromised so the water-tight bulkheads closed to prevent water from entering the rest of the ship," he said.
"Members of the Transportation Safety Board flew in yesterday to investigate and evaluate the ship and divers have been dispatched to determine the extent of the damage to the hull. Based on that data ... whether repairs or evacuation of water will take place in situ or at one of the berths has to be decided."
While there is no timeline in place for repair, Gurney said the ship "will not be travelling from Prince Rupert in its current state".
Original:
A 228-metre bulk carrier ran aground 15 kilometres off of Ridley Island late Monday night.
The Amakusa Island was shifting position from berth at Ridley Terminals to its assigned anchorage shortly after 10 p.m. on July 12 when it became grounded. The Canadian Coast Guard and Prince Rupert Port Authority Security Operations Centre, along with other port partners, responded and the vessel was freed by SMIT Marine tugs at approximately 2:30 a.m. It then proceeded to anchorage under its own power, escorted by tugs and a port authority harbour patrol boat.
Although the ship visibly listed while aground, there were no injuries or environmental contamination reported or observed. However, the Prince Rupert Port Authority continues to monitor the situation and the Transportation Safety Board has deployed a team of investigators to the site of the grounding.