Overnight at the Port of Long Beach in the United States, more than 60 shipping containers fell from the cargo ship Mississippi, leading to approximately 67 containers floating in the water. The incident occurred shortly before 9 a.m. local time (4 p.m. AEST), but fortunately, no injuries have been reported, as confirmed by Port of Long Beach spokesperson Art Marroquin.
This significant maritime mishap saw some containers crash onto the STAX 2, an anti-pollution vessel that helps capture emissions from the Mississippi. The empty containers, depending on their size, usually weigh between two to four metric tons (2.2 to 4.4 tons).
Long Beach, located about 32 kilometres south of Los Angeles, is a pivotal hub in international shipping, handling 40 per cent of all freight containers that enter the U.S. The incident prompted operations at Pier G, one of the terminal’s six, to be temporarily halted while authorities worked to secure the floating containers.
The Mississippi, flying the flag of Portugal, had arrived in Long Beach after setting sail from Yantian port in Shenzhen, China, on August 26, according to tracking information from maritime websites.