CMA CGM Ship Loses 44 Containers in Heavy Weather Off South Africa

A CMA CGM containership lost 44 containers overboard amid heavy weather off the coast of South Africa on Tuesday.

The incident occurred while the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin was en route from Asia to Europe.

“On Tuesday, 9th July 2024, while proceeding on her westbound voyage from Asia to Europe, the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin faced unexpectedly strong adverse weather conditions off South African coasts and suffered loss at sea of 44 containers,” CMA CGM said in a statement.

Another 30 containers were reported damaged, the company said.

Severe weather conditions near the Cape of Good Hope have been affecting shipping this week, with seas reaching over 10 meters in height. South Africa’s Transnet reported on Tuesday that it had suspended operations at some of its ports due to strong winds and high waves.

Despite the loss, the company confirmed that there were no injuries to the crew, no pollution, and no significant damage to the vessel, which remains fully seaworthy. An inspection confirmed that all containers lost at sea contained harmless goods and did not contain any dangerous cargo.

CMA CGM has notified the relevant authorities and plans to proceed to Cape Town for a thorough assessment of the situation.

The company said is implementing all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the voyage. ““CMA CGM organization will contact customers impacted by the incident individually to share all available information and grant best assistance in the next steps,” the statement read.

The Benjamin Franklin has a nominal capacity of 17,859 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It is deployed on CMA CGM’s French Asia Line 1 (FAL) service, which has been rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope due to Houthi drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea.

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