Early Tuesday morning, over 60 shipping containers fell off a cargo ship docked at the Port of Long Beach, ending up floating in the water nearby. The vessel, named Mississippi, lost about 67 containers shortly before 9 a.m., officials confirmed. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident.
Long Beach is a major gateway for goods entering the U.S., handling nearly 40% of the country’s shipping containers along with the nearby Los Angeles port. This makes the accident particularly disruptive. The containers slipped off after the Mississippi arrived from Yantian port in Shenzhen, China, having sailed under the Portuguese flag.
Some of these containers even landed on a pollution control boat called the STAX 2, which is normally attached to the Mississippi to help capture emissions. Empty containers weigh between two to four metric tons, so their fall raised concerns for safety and environmental impact.
In response, the Pier G terminal, where the ship was docked, paused all loading and unloading for a time. Authorities quickly moved to secure the loose containers and prevent further hazards.
The Port of Long Beach spokesperson stressed that officials are handling the situation carefully to restore operations. As one of the busiest seaports in the nation, keeping shipments moving smoothly is crucial both locally and across the country. More updates are expected as crews continue cleanup and assessment.