Maersk vessel losses 750 containers overboard en route from Xiamen to Los Angeles

There has been another serious loss of containers from a large container vessel. This time it is a Maersk Line vessel, the MAERSK ESSEN, which lost 750 containers overboard in the North West Pacific Ocean on 16 January.

MAERSK ESSEN is a 13,100 TEU vessel, and was en route to Los Angeles from Xiamen. Marine claims consultancy WK Webster issued an advisory saying that losing 750 containers overboard means “it is therefore also very likely that some containers will have collapsed or been damaged in the affected stacks, but remain on board. These containers will need to be removed or repositioned”.

Maersk Line has confirmed the incident, and that all crew members are safe and the US Coast Guard and other authorities have been notified, including in the vessel flag state (Singapore). It has also put in place a communications plan and claims process for cargo owners.

This is the third time in three months that a container vessel has lost a significant number of containers overboard in the Pacific en route from Asia to the USA, following the ONE APUS and ONE AQUILA incidents.

A third incident will increase pressure on the industry to demonstrate that current container loading and securing practices on large container vessels are adequate for sea conditions in the Pacific. No detailed information on any of the latest three incidents is available at this point.