A disruptive morning at the port
The Port of Long Beach was hugely rocked Tuesday morning when more than 60 shipping containers fell from a cargo ship into the water and onto the dock. It happened just before 9 a.m. as the vessel, Mississippi, was docked at the Pier G container terminal.
Officials have confirmed 67 of the containers have been lost to date, with several falling right into the harbor and others falling onto port property. The disaster caused the temporary closure of cargo operations at Pier G, as crews struggled to contain the loss.
No injuries, but serious disruption
Luckily, no injuries were reported. The accident, however, created chaos along the docks and on the water. Cargo operations were halted as emergency personnel rushed to secure the ship and salvage the floating containers.
Dramatic video of the accident’s aftermath was captured by AIR7 news helicopters, with dozens of containers littering the dock and floating on the harbor. Some of this already leaked merchandise—sandals, clothing, and other consumer goods—into the ocean.
What was on board?
The vessel Mississippi was carrying a complete load of Chinese merchandise to American retailers such as Costco, Target, Walmart, and small independent shops. Products ranged from electronics, shoes, apparel, and other daily essentials.
Lost containers can result in shipment delays or lost stock for most of these retailers. Although large chains have the stomach for this, smaller shops could lose gigantic amounts.
How it happened
Port officials witnessed the domino effect begin when the crews started loosening the straps that held the containers in place. As soon as the front containers tilted, a domino effect was created, and dozens fell into the sea.
Eyewitness News video recorded the first collapse, with the shuddering noise of containers hitting other containers before falling into the harbor. Subsequently, still more containers fell off the port side of the ship, with concern that there could be additional stacks that are still in danger.
Crews battle the spill
Emergency responders rushed to the scene. Port police rafted out to the containers and water-sprayed them to prevent them from drifting off, and buoys were set out to corral their positions. Some of the containers had sunk and would be retrieved in subsequent salvage operations.
Art Marroquin, a spokesman for the Port of Long Beach, explained
“We are still investigating the cause of why the containers fell off the ship. Some fell into the water, some are on the terminal property, and we’re just working to stabilize everything. Tomorrow morning, the Unified Command is going to discuss how to start salvage operations.”
The timeline for cleanup remains uncertain, though officials emphasized that clearing the mess is a top priority.
A rare and alarming mishap
The accident was a shock to long-time port employees. One of the veteran port workers with 35 years of service reported he had never seen anything like this. Some experts believe the ship might have been off balance from its ballast tanks, and this tipped it, destabilizing its contents.
Port ironworker Richard Folkes explained that one or two spilled containers might be caused by human error, but a dozen are a sign of much larger problems.
“Something like this is probably a big mistake somewhere,” Folkes said.
Ensuring crew is safe
In the chaos, port authorities went to great lengths to make sure everyone was on board the Mississippi. A full head count was conducted, and all crew were accounted for, thankfully.
What’s next?
Meanwhile, salvage crews are trying to recover the afloat and submerged containers. The investigation will analyze whether the toppling was due to careless handling, vessel stability, or equipment breakdown. Meanwhile, operations at Pier G remain interrupted, and shoppers are holding out for news about the condition of their shipments.
One of the country’s busiest ports, the Port of Long Beach, is an important distribution point to ship merchandise around the country. Such a tragedy is a reminder of how open supply chains are—and how quickly one error can cascade through firms nationwide.
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