Vessel traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway was at a halt Friday afternoon, because of a ship aground in Canadian waters.
The “Damia Desgagnes,” a new, double-hulled tanker, went aground a little before 11 PM Thursday.
The Desgagnes is aground on the side of the shipping channel a few miles west of Morrisburg, Ontario, across from Waddington.
The ship experienced a mechanical problem which caused it to lose power, according to Andrew Bogora, communications officer for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.
Typically, ships would be allowed to continue to move through the area. But given the very high water flows on the St. Lawrence right now – a lot of water is being released to reduce flooding along the Lake Ontario shore line – shipping was halted. “We have put into place a higher margin of safety,” Bogora said.
Tugs are expected to begin freeing the ship early Saturday morning.
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Source: NYTV
