CNN —US and Canadian officials are investigating after a 689-foot ship collided with an underwater object and began taking on water in Lake Superior, the US Coast Guard says. The merchant ship was carrying taconite, a low-grade iron ore, the Coast Guard said on X. Half of the ship’s 22-person crew was removed from the vessel after the incident, according to a news release. The US Coast Guard and Transport Canada will conduct marine casualty investigations to determine if the hull damage was caused by the ship running aground, hitting a fixed or floating object, hull failure or a combination of these, according to Thomas. The ship departed Two Harbors, Minnesota, on Friday and was headed to Thunder Bay in Canada, according to MarineTraffic.com.

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Persons: Michipicoten, Lorne Thomas, Thomas Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Ninth Coast Guard District, Transport Locations: Lake Superior, Isle Royale, Thunder Bay , Ontario, Transport Canada, Harbors, Minnesota, Bay, Canada