Maersk ship loses dozens of containers off N.C. coast

The container ship MAERSK SHANGHAI lost 70 or more containers in rough seas caused by stormy weather off North Carolina,

The 10,081-TEU Maersk Shanghai lost between 70 and 73 cargo containers Saturday night about 17 miles off the coast of Oregon Inlet, N.C., but all crew members are safe and accounted for.

The Maersk Shanghai lost between 70 and 73 cargo containers Saturday night about 17 miles off the coast of Oregon Inlet, N.C., due to high winds and heavy seas, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday in a press release.

As of 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time Monday, the vessel was at anchor in Charleston, S.C. with the surveyor and Coast Guard on board to assess damages to the cargo and the vessel, according to a Maersk spokesperson.

“Once the survey is completed, we will coordinate a plan to secure berthing and needed resources to work normal cargo ops, including damaged units,” the spokesperson said. “We will be in contact with all customers with direct impact to find the best solution for the handling of their cargo.

“All crew members on board are safe and accounted for,” the spokesperson added. “No effect on the environment has been reported at this time.”

Although one of the containers that is unaccounted for consists of sulfuric acid, the environmental danger is minimal because the solution dissolves in saltwater, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.

During a C-130 flyover Sunday, four of the containers were spotted, and they were sticking 1-5 feet above the water line, the Coast Guard spokesperson said. Another flyover was being conducted Monday, but as of 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time Monday, the results were not in yet.

The 10,081-TEU Liberia-flagged Maersk Shanghai was built in 2016. The vessel sails on the 2M Alliance’s TP11/America loop, which has a rotation of Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Yantian, Cai Mep, Singapore, Salalah, Newark, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Miami, Freeport (Bahamas), Newark, Singapore and Xiamen. The TP11/America operates with 12 vessels averaging 9,511 TEUs, according to BlueWater Reporting.