Unstable Cargo Ship Dumps Shipment Containers Into Harbor

At a port in Vietnam, a small container ship lost stability while loading containers, causing it to lose its deck of loaded cargo into the ocean. No injuries have been reported by Vietnamese authorities, but the incident has been labeled a navigation hazard. Ships are advised to use alternative routes while the process of a recovery operation has commenced.

“The 2,470 dwt cargo vessel named Alica and registered in Mongolia was alongside at the Hiep Phuoc Port in the Nha Be District south of Ho Chi Minh City on the Soai Rap River. According to reports from the port authority, the 34-year-old vessel, which has a length of approximately 250 feet, was loading containers before a scheduled departure for Indonesia.”

The port authorities reported that a total of 54 containers were loaded on the ship’s deck before it lost stability. This caused the ship to heel to port, which lead to the loss of 18 containers falling overboard into the Soai Rap River. Some containers sunk into the ocean, while a few remained afloat. Reporters record that some containers were able to be retrieved after floating about half a mile away.

“The HCMC Maritime Administration reports that it is trying to locate the sunken containers for recovery while instructing other ships entering and exiting the port to use caution and use utilize alternate routes.”

An investigation of the accident is currently ongoing.

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