Tug fights container fire on cargo ship off British Columbia

Victoria, BRITISH COLUMBIA - A tug boat spent the night fighting a container fire that broke out on Saturday on a cargo ship carrying mining chemicals off British Columbia, the Canadian Coast Guard said on Sunday, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation.

Sixteen crew members were evacuated from the MV Zim Kingston on Saturday, while five remained onboard to fight the fire.

"Overnight the tug Seaspan Raven has cooled the hull of the M/V #ZimKingston by spraying the hull with cold water," the coast guard said on Twitter. "Due to the nature of chemicals onboard the container ship, applying water directly to the fire is not an option."