Update: Unified Command Continues Response to Fallen Containers at the Port of Long Beach

LONG BEACH – The Unified Command continued its response Seot. 10 to an incident that caused an estimated 75 shipping containers to fall from the cargo ship Mississippi at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach.

An investigation led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board is underway to determine the cause of the incident, which occurred just before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The Unified Command – consisting of federal, state and local agencies – is working to ensure a safe and timely recovery of the cargo containers. Sonar surveys are being conducted to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers submerged in the harbor to ensure the safe navigation of ship traffic.

A salvage plan is being developed and will be implemented as soon as possible. One of the Unified Command’s top priorities is continuing to ensure the safety of workers and others on scene while also assessing security of the surrounding area to prevent further damage.

A pollution response vessel remains on scene to address any potential discharge and a boom has been deployed to contain the containers in a designated area.

Dockworkers are unloading containers from a separate ship that was berthed at Pier G before the incident and truck drivers are moving containers to and from the terminal. No other terminals or port operations have been affected.

The Coast Guard continues to maintain a 500-yard safety zone on the water surrounding the Mississippi. Nonresponding personnel are asked to remain clear of the affected area until further notice.

The Coast Guard is broadcasting hourly marine safety information to alert mariners of navigation hazards.

Original report Sept. 9

A unified command has been established to respond to an incident the morning of Sept. 9 that caused an estimated 67 shipping containers to fall off the cargo ship Mississippi and into the water at Pier G within the Port of Long Beach just after 9 a.m.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Fire Department, Long Police Department, Port of Long Beach, Army Corps of Engineers and other commercial representatives are responding to the incident.

A smaller clean air barge was connected to the Mississippi at the time of the accident and was damaged by several fallen containers.

No injuries have been reported. No other terminals or port operations have been impacted.

Cargo operations have been temporarily suspended at Pier G, as operations continue to ensure the safety of dockworkers and other port personnel.

Unified command agencies have dispatched numerous vessels and aircraft to assess the situation and provide assistance. 

The Coast Guard established a safety zone 500 yards around the Mississippi and is issuing marine safety broadcasts every hour to alert other vessels of the navigation and safety hazards.  The Coast Guard is also leading the effort to determine the cause of the incident.

The unified command is asking nonresponding personnel to remain clear of the area around the containers.