Major Maritime Incident at Port of Long Beach: 67 Containers Fall from Vessel During Discharging

On the morning of September 9th (local time), a serious incident occurred at the Port of Long Beach, California, when over 60 containers unexpectedly toppled from the container vessel Mississippi into the water.

A container ship chartered by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. experienced a major cargo handling accident yesterday while berthing at the Port of Long Beach. The incident resulted in 67 containers falling into the bay during the discharging process, with some striking a nearby clean-air barge.

The vessel involved, the container ship Mississippi, was built in 2024 with a capacity of 5,504 TEUs and is owned by MPC Container Ships.

Port officials have confirmed there were no reported injuries, but some containers were damaged beyond repair while others sank to the bottom of the bay. Several containers hit a clean-air barge—a vessel used for providing shoreside power and emission reduction services—causing damage that is still being assessed.
The U.S. Coast Guard has cordoned off Pier G and is conducting a coordinated investigation with the Long Beach Harbor Department. Initial indications suggest a technical malfunction of the crane may have caused the collapse, though this has not been officially confirmed.
In a statement, the carrier ZIM said it is “actively cooperating with local port authorities and relevant agencies to contain the situation and assess any potential environmental impact.”