[Maritime News] More than 60 containers fell off a cargo ship at Long Beach port (USA)

On Tuesday morning (local time), more than 60 containers fell off the cargo ship Mississippi while it was anchored at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach, many of which fell straight into the sea.

Source: Real Logistics Co., Ltd

According to the port, the incident occurred just before 9 a.m., forcing loading and unloading operations at Pier G to be temporarily halted. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Aerial images show that authorities have urgently deployed to salvage containers that have fallen into the sea and stabilize the ship. However, many containers are still tilted to the left side, at risk of falling further into the water.

The Port of Long Beach said the Mississippi, which departed from China, was loaded with consumer goods such as shoes, clothing, and electronics for distribution to many retail chains in the US, including Costco, Target, Walmart, and small stores. The incident could cause many retailers to lose goods.

Source: Real Logistics Co., Ltd

The initial cause was determined to be that when the crew began to remove the lashing straps that secured the containers, some of the containers lost balance and fell, creating a “domino” effect. Video recorded by witnesses showed the containers sliding off the ship one by one, emitting a loud noise that frightened both the crew and workers at the scene.

At least 67 containers have been lost so far, with about two dozen falling into the sea and the rest falling onto the wharf. Some containers sank, others floated on the water and were held in place by buoys. Images also showed many items such as sandals and clothes floating on the sea.

Port police deployed patrol boats and sprayed water to prevent the containers from drifting away. The entire crew was accounted for and safe.

“We are still investigating the cause. Some containers fell into the sea, some are on the wharf. Stabilization work is underway. Tomorrow morning, the Unified Command Board will meet to discuss the salvage plan. It is not clear how long it will take, but we are working to process it as quickly as possible,” said Art Marroquin, representative of the Port of Long Beach.

A port worker with 35 years of experience said he had never witnessed a similar incident and suspected a problem related to the ship's ballast water balance.

ABC7 News

Source: https://vimc.co/shipping-news-more-than-60-containers-disembarked-from-ship-at-cang-long-beach-my/