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Damaged cargo ship losing containers
A cargo ship at the Port of Long Beach is under watch after dozens of containers were damaged or lost during a turbulent Pacific voyage.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - A cargo ship docked at the Port of Long Beach is under close watch after dozens of its containers were crushed, twisted, and left dangling following a turbulent journey across the Pacific Ocean.
While the vessel itself does not appear to be significantly damaged, officials say the cargo stacked aboard it took a severe hit during the voyage.
The ship, identified as the OOCL Sunflower, arrived in the Los Angeles area last week but remained offshore for several days as crews assessed the condition of its load. Officials said external inspections were conducted, and additional lashings were used to secure unstable containers before the ship entered port.
The U.S. Coast Guard has since established a 100-yard safety zone around the vessel as crews prepare to stabilize and remove the damaged containers, amid concerns more could fall into the water.
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This marks the second time in recent months that containers have been seen leaning precariously on a ship in the Port of Long Beach.
According to maritime expert Sal Mercogliano, extreme conditions at sea can destabilize container stacks, leading to cascading failures.
"The way you stack containers is kind of like Lego blocks. Once one goes, the others start to go and you have almost a Jenga set going overboard," Mercogliano said.
Tracking data shows the ship traveled from Taiwan to Southern California, and encountered waves as high as 20 feet near the Aleutian Islands. At least 32 containers were lost overboard, with dozens more damaged.
"Wind and waves like that can cause the vessel to yaw. It can cause waves to come over the bow," Mercogliano said. "What we sometimes see is containers collapse or the rigging that holds them in place can fail."
The incident follows a similar episode about six months ago, when more than 70 containers fell from another vessel near the same port, spilling cargo into the harbor and prompting a large-scale cleanup.
Officials say removing the damaged containers is a delicate process aimed at preventing further spills or environmental hazards.
"It’s a laborious chore to get all those containers off. You want to make sure you don’t have a further spill," Mercogliano said.
Authorities also warned the unstable stacks could pose additional risks during cleanup.
"Because the containers have collapsed onto each other, you could have a spill on the vessel," Mercogliano added. "Right now the big thing is going to be cleanup."
It remains unclear what is inside the damaged containers. Sources say a complex cleanup operation could begin as soon as Thursday.