Sunday, June 29, 2025
Home Most Visited - Newsletter MSC container vessel loses more than 20 boxes in Algoa Bay

MSC container vessel loses more than 20 boxes in Algoa Bay

MSC has confirmed the loss of more than 20 containers overboard from its 9,400TEU container vessel MSC Palak near the port of Nqgura (Coega) on 14 July.

The 2016-built container ship left the South African port and was caught in rough weather in Algoa Bay near the city of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.

“At 23:37 on 14 July 2020 of a report was received from Port Control that the MSC Palak had lost containers overboard while at anchor. An initial assessment was that six (6) containers had fallen overboard and that they had sunk, however, at first light on 15 July, the vessel confirmed that in fact 23 containers were lost overboard,” South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) stated.

A fishing vessel reported on 15 July in the morning that they found containers drifting approximately seven nautical miles south of where the containers were lost.

The Swiss-based company claimed that the missing containers were mainly filled with biodegradable cargo and no dangerous or polluting cargo was spilled overboard.

MSC said it is in contact with local authorities to provide them with all necessary information about the contents of the lost boxes and surveyors were already quickly appointed to search for the missing containers.

The second-largest container carrier in the world added it has appointed experienced response companies to conduct further investigations and salvage operations.

The Port of Ngqura was closed for vessel traffic due to the risk that some containers may have sunk in the approach channel, becoming a danger to navigation.

MSC Palak has subsequently returned to Coega where it was berthed for further surveys, according to the shipping firm.

“An aerial surveillance flight was arranged by the owners to locate any drifting containers that may pose a hazard to shipping”, said SAMSA, which has requested the public to remain vigilant and report any containers sighted.





Latest Posts

UWL announces vessel partnership with Emirates Shipping Line

UWL, a leading American-owned NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) and global logistics provider, welcomes Emirates Shipping Line as the new vessel partner for its...

Sea-Intelligence: Port Power Rankings

 Sea-Intelligence analyses port performance in terms of schedule reliability, across the 202 deep-sea ports with the largest number of container vessel calls, by creating...

Suez slowdown reshapes Red Sea’s port map

The macro picture of the Red Sea is worsen as canal transits are at half-mast, and the region has relinquished its role as the...

We asked AI: When containers become pools

We asked AI what a container might look like if it was trasformed into a pool. The result? Long steel containers, many of them stacked,...

Transpacific crash may normalise charter market

Containership charter rates, which have defied the freight slump for some time, could be peaking, as some small ships chartered by opportunistic operators for...
error: Content is protected !!