It is Raining Container Boxes into the Port of Long Beach | MV Mississippi September 9, 2025

Major Container Spill at Port of Long Beach Prompts Multi-Agency Response as Salvage Operations Continue

67 Containers Fall from MV Mississippi in Significant Maritime Incident

LONG BEACH, Calif. — September 19, 2025 — Salvage and recovery operations are ongoing at the Port of Long Beach following a major container collapse incident that sent 67 shipping containers into harbor waters on September 9, highlighting critical safety concerns in one of America's busiest ports.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:48 a.m. on Tuesday morning when multiple container stacks aboard the Portuguese-flagged vessel MV Mississippi collapsed while the ship was berthed at Pier G. The vessel, operated by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and owned by MPC Container Ships ASA, had arrived just hours earlier from Yantian, China, carrying 2,412 containers filled with consumer goods bound for major U.S. retailers.

Immediate Impact and Response

The container collapse created a cascade effect, with containers falling into the harbor and onto a nearby emissions control barge operated by STAX Engineering. The STAX 2 barge, which was connected to the vessel to capture harmful emissions, sustained damage when struck by falling containers. The barge contained approximately 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel, which initially leaked but was quickly contained on September 10.

"This is still a dynamic situation with many unknowns," said Captain Stacey Crecy, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. "However, we have contingency plans in place and are working with the intent to restore all port activities as soon and as safely as possible."

A Unified Command was immediately established, comprising representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, Port of Long Beach, Army Corps of Engineers, and commercial stakeholders. The Coast Guard implemented a 500-yard safety zone around the Mississippi and began broadcasting hourly marine safety alerts to warn vessels of navigation hazards.

Current Status and Recovery Efforts

As of September 14, salvage crews have secured all unaffected containers on the MV Mississippi, with recovery operations retrieving 32 containers from the water. Sonar surveys indicate approximately 25 to 30 containers remain submerged in the harbor. Dive teams and salvage crews continue working to locate and recover the sunken containers to ensure safe navigation for ship traffic.

"In just a few days, we have made significant progress in securing the vessel cargo and recovering containers," Captain Crecy noted, crediting vessel managers, port officials, and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) labor for their collaborative safety efforts.

No pollution has been observed since the initial emission barge leak was stopped on September 10, and cargo operations at the Port of Long Beach remain largely unaffected, with only Pier G experiencing temporary operational suspensions.

Economic and Operational Impact

The incident has had minimal impact on overall port operations, according to Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero, who emphasized that the port remains "fully operating." The Port of Long Beach, which handles 40% of all shipping containers entering the United States alongside the adjacent Port of Los Angeles, has 22 cargo terminals with six handling containers.

The lost containers carried consumer goods including electronics, clothing, shoes, and furniture destined for major retailers such as Costco, Target, and Walmart, as well as smaller businesses. Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen confirmed that 20 separate Flexport clients had goods aboard 36 of the affected containers.

While specific damage estimates have not been released, the incident involves significant costs related to:

• Container recovery and salvage operations
• Damage to the STAX emissions control barge
• Business interruption claims from affected cargo owners
• Port infrastructure assessment and potential repairs
• Environmental monitoring and cleanup efforts

Safety Concerns and Investigation

The incident has underscored the inherent dangers of port operations. "At times when we have labor issues, people don't appreciate — the public doesn't appreciate — how dangerous this job is," CEO Cordero said at a news conference. "Just imagine, the men and women who were there, who potentially could've been caught up with this."

Remarkably, no injuries were reported among dockworkers, with ILWU Local 13 President Gary Herrera confirming that workers had already moved away from the vessel when containers began falling. Only one minor injury was reported to a worker aboard the emissions control barge.

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are leading an investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Early reports indicated the vessel was listing when the container collapse began, with officials examining potential ballast issues. ILWU officials have categorically ruled out dockworker error as a contributing factor.

"On the day of the incident yesterday I can tell you right now it was not human error when it comes to the labour of the men and women of the ILWU," Herrera stated at a press conference.

Industry Context and Broader Implications

The incident comes amid heightened attention on container safety in the global shipping industry. The World Shipping Council reported on September 8 — one day before the incident — that 11.39% of inspected cargo shipments contained deficiencies in 2024, up from 11% in previous assessments. When applied to the industry's estimated 250 million annual container movements, this represents approximately 28.5 million containers with potential deficiencies.

Deficiencies can include misdeclared dangerous goods, incorrect documentation, structural problems, and improper packing — all factors that can contribute to safety incidents including container losses and ship fires.

"Cargo safety starts with correct declaration and safe packing of goods," said Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the World Shipping Council. "With over one in ten shipments showing deficiencies, the message is clear: gaps in cargo safety remain far too common."

Recovery Timeline and Future Operations

While salvage operations continue, port officials expect normal operations to resume fully once all submerged containers are recovered and the safety zone is lifted. The incident has prompted discussions about enhanced safety protocols and container securing procedures.

The MV Mississippi, a 255-meter container ship with a capacity of 5,550 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), remains under investigation as authorities work to determine the precise cause of the container stack collapse.

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Sources and Citations

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3. Seatrade Maritime - "67 containers fall off Zim ship in Port of Long Beach" https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/accidents/67-containers-fall-off-zim-ship-in-port-of-long-beach
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6. ABC7 Los Angeles - "Cargo spill incident at Port of Long Beach shows 'how dangerous this job is' for workers, CEO says" https://abc7.com/post/cleanup-operation-continues-port-long-beach-where-cargo-containers-remain-water-falling-off-ship/17802385/
7. ABC7 Los Angeles - "More cargo containers recovered from water after Port of Long Beach spill incident" https://abc7.com/post/more-cargo-containers-recovered-water-port-long-beach-spill-incident/17822084/
8. gCaptain - "Berthed Containership Loses 67 Boxes Overboard at Port of Long Beach" https://gcaptain.com/over-50-boxes-topple-from-containership-at-port-of-long-beach/
9. Seatrade Maritime - "Dockworkers not to blame for Long Beach container spill" https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/accidents/dockworkers-not-to-blame-for-long-beach-container-spill
10. ABC News - "Cargo ship incident plunges containers into California waters, halting operations" https://abcnews.go.com/US/cargo-ship-incident-plunges-containers-long-beach-waters/story?id=125409454
11. Sourcing Journal - "Dozens of Containers Fall Off Cargo Vessel at Port of Long Beach" https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/logistics/port-of-long-beach-67-containers-fall-off-zim-cargo-ship-mississippi-safety-world-shipping-council-1234776165/
12. SupplyChainBrain - "Crews Still Working to Recover Fallen Containers at Port of Long Beach" https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/42495-crews-still-working-to-recover-fallen-containers-at-port-of-long-beach
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16. It is Raining Container Boxes into the Port of Long Beach | MV Mississippi September 9, 2025 - YouTube