Canadian authorities plan to seize a cargo ship bound for a Quebec port after learning an officer on board died from exposure to anthrax, reports the Montreal Gazette.
The Egyptian vessel, the Wadi Al Arab, is reportedly carrying 50,000 tons of bauxite to be delivered to an Alcan aluminum plant in Saguenay.
According to the paper, health officials were alerted by an Alcan spokesman who said the crew told him the first mate had died from anthrax and was left behind in Brazil.
The ship will be diverted to Halifax where it will be inspected for possible anthrax contamination. Officials said it will not be allowed into any other port until it’s proven to be free of the bacterial disease.
As of midnight last night, the ship was located 300 nautical miles outside Canadian waters.
