Thai authorities rescue crew after cargo ship take...
1 day ago
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety alert calling for tighter procedures when vessels are moored alongside during cargo operations after multiple container stacks collapsed at terminals in the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach during September and October 2025.
The most serious incident occurred Tuesday, September 9, when about 75 containers fell from the Portugal-registered Mississippi, operated by ZIM, shortly after arriving from Yantian, China. The vessel was carrying 2,412 containers when the collapse began at 8:48 a.m., with eyewitness video showing the ship listing as two rows of boxes gave way.
Several containers struck an at-berth emissions control barge moored alongside the ship. The barge was carrying roughly 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel. A crew member suffered minor injuries, and the barge sustained significant damage. In a separate incident during the same period, four containers nearly landed on another emissions control barge after what the Coast Guard described as ineffective container-securing practices.
Investigations are still underway, but preliminary findings point to a key operational gap: there were no established policies or planning tools to account for vessels positioned alongside during cargo operations. Instead, terminals relied on ad-hoc communications—a factor the Coast Guard says contributed to both incidents.
In response, the Coast Guard is urging vessel operators and shoreside facilities to adopt written procedures covering both shipboard and terminal management when vessels are alongside active cargo operations. Those procedures should address safe positioning to reduce the risk of falling containers while allowing the alongside vessel to perform its intended function.
The alert also recommends pre-cargo operations meetings that include the freight vessel, any vessels alongside, and shoreside cargo personnel. Those meetings should ensure the discharge plan explicitly accounts for vessels alongside and establishes clear communication and notification protocols if cargo handling or stability issues arise.
The safety alert was developed by Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach and distributed by the service’s Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update