Recovery underway of fallen containers at Port of Long Beach
Port of Long Beach, the second busiest port in the US, reports that salvage operations are underway to open a channel to allow ships to safely transit to and from Pier G at the port. This follows an incident on Tuesday morning (pictured) that caused an estimated 75 shipping containers to fall from containership ‘Mississippi’ - reported elsewhere to be a ZIM-chartered vessel built in 2024 and operated under the flag of Portugal.
Two sunken cargo containers were retrieved from the bottom of the basin on Wednesday. Additionally, responders secured the source of a fuel leak originating from an at-berth emissions control barge moored alongside the container vessel. The tank contained about 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel.
Cargo operations at the Port have been mostly unaffected by the incident, except in a 500-yard safety zone placed around the Mississippi, which was carrying 2,412 containers at the time of the incident. Containers began falling at 8:48 a.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard, Jacobsen Port Pilots and the Port of Long Beach are working together to facilitate navigation in accordance with the safety zone. There has been one reported minor injury related to the incident.
“We are grateful that no one was hurt and that everyone is safe, especially our local dockworkers, following the Pier G container incident,” Richardson said. “While events like this are extremely rare at the Port of Long Beach, they underscore the importance of protecting the safety of our workers, first responders and the public. Our focus remains on a full recovery and supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s thorough investigation.”
“This is still a dynamic situation with many unknowns,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “However, we have contingency plans in place and are working with the intent to restore all port activities as soon and as safely as possible. I greatly value the strong partnerships and coordination with our partners and the work that is being done by all members of the Unified Command to minimize impacts to the Port.”
There are 22 cargo terminals at the Port of Long Beach. Six handle containers.
The investigation to determine the cause of the incident is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. The Unified Command continues to conduct sonar surveys to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers submerged in the harbour. Recovered containers have been moved to a designated area surrounded by a boom. The Coast Guard is broadcasting hourly marine safety information to alert mariners of navigation hazards.