More than 60 shipping containers fell overboard from a cargo ship Tuesday morning at the Port of Long Beach, with several floating in the surrounding waters. The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. as the vessel, named Mississippi, was docked. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to Art Marroquin, spokesperson for the Port of Long Beach.
The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that approximately 67 containers ended up in the water. Some reportedly landed on the STAX 2—an anti-pollution barge designed to capture emissions—which was positioned alongside the Mississippi at the time of the mishap.
As a precaution, the Pier G container terminal temporarily suspended all loading and unloading operations while authorities worked to secure the area and contain the situation. The Mississippi, which sails under the Portuguese flag, had recently arrived from the Yantian port in Shenzhen, China, after departing on August 26, according to vessel tracking data.
Long Beach, located roughly 20 miles south of Los Angeles, is one of the busiest ports in the United States. Together with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, it handles around 40% of all shipping containers entering the country.
The cause of the container spill remains under investigation. The incident comes just days after Long Beach was named North America’s top West Coast seaport for the seventh consecutive year by Asia Cargo News. The U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Fire and Police Departments, and the Army Corps of Engineers are all assisting in the ongoing investigation, according to CBS News.