Canadian officials have said that Heavy fuel oil that spilled into the St. Lawrence Seaway from a grounded ship was contained on Tuesday.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has reported that the spill occurred Monday night when the Richelieu, a Canada Steamship Lines vessel, ran aground after losing power near the Cote-Sainte-Catherine lock near Montreal.

The spill, which covered about 600 square yards and may have involved up to 220 tons of fuel oil, prompted authorities to close the seaway in the area.

The CBC further said that the section of the seaway was to be closed for about two days while the fuel oil is cleaned up.

It has further been reported that Public health authorities will monitor the water filtration systems in nearby communities for any sign of fuel. (With Inputs from Agencies)