A ship stranded on the St. Lawrence River

A large ship carrying chemicals has been stranded on the St.

A ship stranded on the St. Lawrence River

A large ship carrying chemicals has been stranded on the St. Lawrence River since last night, blocking maritime traffic.

The "Chem Hydra", measuring 144 m, has been stuck since 12:35 a.m. in a shallow area near the Sainte-Catherine lock "mainly due to a problem with the boat's engine" which caused it to deviate from its trajectory," explains Nicholas Poirier-Quesnel, spokesperson for the St. Lawrence Seaway.

“All crew members are safe. There is no water entering the boat,” he said in an interview with the Journal.

The situation disrupts maritime traffic, but “few boats” are affected, according to Mr. Poirier-Quesnel.

Chemical products

Built in 2009, the “Chez Hydra” carries chemicals and petroleum products and was traveling to the port of Hamilton in Ontario, according to sites that track maritime traffic.

However, Mr. Poirier-Quesnel wants to be reassuring. “It is a double-hulled bulk carrier, which is therefore extremely safe,” he argues, stressing that “no pollution has been reported”.

It is not known, however, if the boat has suffered any damage at this stage.

At the end of the day on Friday, the tugs were on site to carry out a refloating operation to move the ship and put it back on the seaway.

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