U.S. Coast Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach small boat crews established a safety zone surrounding the Mississippi berthed at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard
A Unified Command continued response operations Wednesday following an incident that caused an estimated 75 shipping containers to fall from the cargo ship Mississippi at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach.
An investigation led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board is currently underway to determine the cause of the incident, which occurred just before 9 a.m. Tuesday.
“The Unified Command – consisting of federal, state and local agencies – is working to ensure a safe and timely recovery of the cargo containers,” officials stated. Sonar surveys are being conducted to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers now submerged in the harbor to ensure safe navigation for ship traffic.
Eyewitness footage of the incident shows the ship listing as two rows of containers collapsed, causing dozens of containers to fall overboard.
A salvage plan is being developed and will be implemented as soon as possible. Officials emphasized that ensuring worker safety remains a top priority while also securing the surrounding area to prevent further damage.
Environmental protections have been established, with a pollution response vessel remaining on scene to address any potential discharge. A boom has been deployed to contain the containers in a designated area.
While cargo operations were temporarily suspended at Pier G, dockworkers are now unloading containers from a separate ship berthed there before the incident, and truck drivers are moving containers to and from the terminal. No other terminals or port operations have been affected.
A smaller clean air barge was connected to the Mississippi at the time of the accident and was damaged by several fallen containers. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
The Portugal-registered Mississippi, operated by ZIM, had just arrived at Long Beach early Tuesday after completing its voyage from Yantian, China.
The Coast Guard has established a 500-yard safety zone around the Mississippi and is broadcasting hourly marine safety information to alert other vessels of navigation hazards. Nonresponding personnel are asked to remain clear of the affected area until further notice.
The Unified Command includes representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, Port of Long Beach, Army Corps of Engineers and other commercial representatives.
According to initial reports from Tuesday, an estimated 67 containers fell overboard, but that number has since been revised to 75 containers, with 25-30 now confirmed to be submerged in the harbor.
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