Eyes turn to lost container cleanup as fire extinguished on cargo ship in B.C.

Only four of 109 lost cargo containers have been located. Those containers have washed ashore on the Vancouver Island coast where an extensive cleanup will be required.

Nearly a week after a fire broke out aboard a damaged cargo ship near Victoria, B.C., crews have finally managed to douse the flames.

But efforts continue to track and recover the estimated 109 shipping containers that fell from the the MV Zim Kingston in rough seas west of Vancouver Island last Thursday.

Just four of those containers have been accounted for, washed up on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, near Cape Scott.

Global News visited Palmerston Beach Friday, where one of the containers had washed ashore, strewing dozens of refrigerators in the remote and pristine shoreline.

Other items Global found on the beach ranged from running shoes to children’s games to pink inflatable unicorns.

North Island local Jeannie McCormack was on the beach Friday to survey the debris.

“It’s pretty sad,” she said.

“The province has been doing a lot in the last two years doing a cleanup along the whole coast and focusing a lot of energy on a cleanup and now we have a big mess again.”