THERE are fears that the number of containers lost overboard when the 7,200-TEU Svendborg Maersk became caught up a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay may exceed first estimates of 200-300 boxes.
None of the crew was injured and damage to the ship was minor in what is believed to be biggest loss of containers that Maersk has ever suffered, reported Lloyd’s List, adding that the ship diverted to Malaga, Spain, where company officials insurers, stowage and lashing experts investigated.
Many more containers were damaged after the stacks in at least six bays tilted over during the hurricane force winds that lashed much of Europe. The ship was reported to have been rolling at up to 40 degrees.
The 1998-built ship was heading from Rotterdam to Sri Lanka when the accident happened, and some of the lost containers were likely to have been empty on the backhaul leg.
Most containers that went overboard appears to have sunk. A tug with crane capability has been sent by the shipping company to retrieve any floating containers.
The lost containers are believed to be mainly 40-foot boxes although some would have been 20 foot, according to vice president of operations Palle Brodsgaard Laursen.
The containership Svendborg Maersk faced particularly nasty weather last week as she sailed through the Bay of Biscay on her way to Colombo, Sri Lanka resulting in disastrous consequences.
Limping into the port of Malaga, Spain on Monday, 520 containers had been lost from the deck of the ship.
“The total number of lost containers turned out to be even worse than we feared,” commented Palle Laursen, Vice President of Operations, Maersk Line. ”We will now carefully examine our procedures to see if they need correction in order to avoid similar incidents in the future.
As of now we remain focused on supporting our vessel crew and are dedicated to getting correct information about lost or delayed cargo to our customers and ultimately get the ship back in service as soon as possible”
Maersk Line notes that 85 percent of the containers were empty and that none of the filled containers carried hazardous materials. For those who had cargo on board that ship, Maersk Line is currently reaching out to inform their customers of the status of their shipment as soon as an accurate assessment can be made.
According to the World Shipping Council, whos members represent 90 percent of the world’s container ship capacity, the number of containers lost from the Svendborg Maersk on Friday surpasses the entire number of containers lost globally, on average, around the world. They note that on average, 350 containers are lost annually.
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