Cargo ship runs aground on St. Lawrence Seaway south of Montreal

A section of the St. Lawrence Seaway remained blocked Friday morning after a cargo ship ran aground south of Montreal.

Seaway officials say the incident happened Thursday evening, obstructing traffic along the water system near the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake.

The Heemskerkgraacht, originally from the Netherlands, was on its way to a port city in Spain when it stalled.

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The Dutch vessel carrying scrap metal was coming in to perform a U-turn when it lost power causing an engine blackout, according to officials. Crews then dropped a bow anchor, leading the stern to hit the ground.

Officials say the source of the problem remains unknown but engineers on board are working on finding a fix.

An inspection showed the ship’s haul was not damaged and no one on board was injured.

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Seaway authorities say it will take several hours for tugboats to right the vessel and teams should have the section of channel reopened by Saturday morning at the latest.

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