A bulk carrier sent a large plume of smoke over Burrard Inlet after one of its hatches blew open on Tuesday, the coast guard said.
The vessel, named Minoan Glory and flying the Liberian flag, was carrying soybeans, according to the Transportation Safety Board. There were 22 crew members and one pilot on board at the time of the explosion, but no injuries were reported, the TSB said.
At first, it was also unclear if it was smoke or steam that came from the ship, but the Port of Vancouver later confirmed it was the former.
The TSB said the smoke was the result of an explosion in the vessel's number 3 cargo hatch. A fumigation company was on board the vessel Wednesday to investigate the explosion.
In a statement on Tuesday, the port said it was aware of the incident and confirmed there was no fire, no reported injuries and no pollution.
The port added that it's waiting to hear from the shipping agent about what might have caused the hatch to blow.
Witnesses on the beach reported hearing a loud bang before the smoke poured out of the ship.
The plume could also be seen from CTV News Vancouver's Chopper 9 but appeared to dissipate a short time after the incident.
The coast guard said there were no reports of a fire or injuries, adding that the Vancouver Port Authority is investigating and coast guard vessels are on standby.
The TSB said it planned to follow up on the incident on Wednesday. The damage to the vessel was unknown, but appeared to be minor, according to the agency.
