Federal officials investigate Vancouver cargo-ship collision

RICHMOND — The Transportation Safety Board has deployed a team of investigators after a bulk carrier and cargo ship collided in Vancouver Harbour.

A spokesman for the safety board said Monday the collision occurred just after midnight on Sunday and involved MV Caravos Harmony and MV Pan Acacia of Panama.

Board spokesman Chris Krepski could not say how serious the collision was nor what caused it, but he said there were no reports of injuries or pollution.

“We sent two investigators who are on site as we speak gathering information,” he said.

“They’ll be inspecting the vessels, talking to crew members, talking to any other witnesses and people who may have information about the sequence of events and taking it from there.”

He could not say what the vessels were carrying, but confirmed one was a bulk carrier, which typically carries a large amount of a solid commodity such as grain, iron ore or coal, rather than cargo separated into containers.

The website Vesselfinder.com identifies the Pan Acacia as a 2010 cargo ship from Panama and the Caravos Harmony as a 2013 bulk carrier that flies the Marshall Islands flag.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said in a statement that it deployed its harbour patrol crew and vessels and found no imminent risk to those onboard the vessels, to the public or to the environment.

The TSB is an independent agency that aims to advance transportation safety.