Less than two months since Ocean Network Express (ONE) suffered the biggest container stack collapse at sea, resulting in the ONE Apus losing 1816 containers overboard on November 30, another carrier has spilled boxes between ports.
According to maritime and transit claims manager WK Webster, the Maersk Essen was carrying about 13 092 TEUs when it lost a “very significant number of containers overboard in the Pacific Ocean”.
It was en route from Xiamen in China to Los Angeles on the US west coast when it found itself in rough weather on January 16.
At last count it was estimated that 750 boxes went overboard but, as is the case with the Apus, container reconciliation will have to be done.
Also as with the Apus incident, boxes still onboard the Essen are expected to have sustained damage in the incident.
Unlike the Apus, which is currently at the Port of Kobe, the Essen continued towards Los Angeles.
In another report about the incident, shipping and ports platform Fleetmon said that about 100 containers had been seen drifting north west of Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu.
Due to the Essen’s ordeal at sea, its next cross-Pacific voyage to Cai Mep in Vietnam is expected to be delayed.
