The grounded container ship MSC Baltic III, stranded off Newfoundland’s west coast since February, has sustained additional damage following several days of powerful winds and heavy seas, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
In a statement issued Friday, the Coast Guard said extreme conditions caused “a noticeable change in the condition of the port side of the vessel,” along with “significant movement” in both the bow and stern.
The container ship remains grounded in Cedar Cove near Lark Harbour, where cleanup and salvage operations have continued since the incident. The Coast Guard confirmed debris from the vessel has started washing ashore, and the salvage crew reported damage to equipment on board the Baltic III.
Teams were on-site Saturday to assess the extent of the damage and the vessel’s current stability.
Last week, Bruce English, senior response officer with the Marine Environmental and Hazards Section of the Canadian Coast Guard, said the MSC Baltic III would likely not be removed until next summer at the earliest, as oil remains in some of the ship’s tanks.