Operation delayed to unload cargo from ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal

By The Canadian Press on January 2, 2025.

MONTREAL – An operation to off-load thousands of tonnes of corn from a ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal has been postponed to the weekend.

The plan had been to start unloading the MV Maccoa today, but Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the barges needed to carry the corn are still being readied and have not yet arrived.

More than 3,000 metric tonnes of corn must be off-loaded to help get the ship floating so it can resume its course.

The Cyprus-flagged 185-metre bulk carrier ran aground near Verchères, Que., in the early hours of Dec. 24 following a power failure.

Attempts to refloat the ship have failed.

Twenty crew members remain on board the vessel, which is deemed to be in stable condition.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.

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