Containers washed overboard found to be empty

Four containers that washed ashore along the South African coast last week have been found to be empty. According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), five units – consisting of containers and cylinders – were lost overboard on Sunday last week during heavy seas somewhere between Port Elizabeth and St Francis Bay. According to Kevin Kelly of Xtreme Projects, a 24-hour hazmat spill response company based in Nelson Mandela Bay, they inspected and checked the containers that washed ashore near St Francis Bay last Thursday. “All the seals on the containers were still intact and looked clean and all the hatches and covers were double-sealed and tagged,” he told FTW. “On further inspection it was found that the containers were definitely all empty. We have no idea why they were empty or for what purpose they were being transported.” Kelly and his team, who have been contracted to remove the containers, were on Friday afternoon waiting for final approval from the insurance company involved to start the removal process. “Once we have removed them we will once again do a thorough inspection to ensure there was nothing in the containers that could have caused harm or damage.” The containers and cylinders were on board the Chinese-registered ship Anguan Gjing that was en route to Lagos in Nigeria from Durban when the containers were torn off the deck.