The owners and managers of ONE Apus have confirmed that the ship is now safely berthed in the Port of Kobe after losing 1 816 containers overboard when it encountered severe weather on November 30.
A full safety inspection of the vessel and its remaining cargo will now take place with the assistance of local emergency services to ensure that there is no threat to people or the environment posed by the dislodged and damaged containers that remain on deck.
Once the vessel and cargo are declared safe, surveyors from the various stakeholders will make their initial assessments while stowage planners and stevedores formulate and implement a plan to ensure the safe removal of the remaining units. A thorough evaluation will then be made on the exact number and type of containers that have been lost or damaged as well as damage to the vessel.
“We are liaising with the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Honolulu who are continuing to broadcast safety messages to marine traffic about the lost containers and sightings,” the vessel owners said. “A full investigation is being conducted into this incident in conjunction with the flag state and the relevant maritime authorities.”
The vessel was en route from Yantian, China to Long Beach, USA when it encountered gale-force winds and large swells around 1 600 nautical miles northwest of Hawaii, USA. The severe weather conditions caused the vessel to roll heavily causing the containers to dislodge and fall into the ocean.
