Ajot: Recovery begins of fallen containers at Port of Long Beach

Salvage operations have begun in order to open a channel to allow ships to safely transit to and from Pier G at the Port of Long Beach following an incident on Tuesday morning that caused an estimated 75 shipping containers to fall from the cargo ship Mississippi.

Officials from the Unified Command – consisting of federal, state, local agencies and representatives of the vessels involved – gathered again on Wednesday at the Port of Long Beach Joint Command and Control Center to guide operations in response to the incident.Two sunken cargo containers were retrieved from the bottom of the basin on Wednesday. Additionally, responders secured the source of a fuel leak originating from an at-berth emissions control barge moored alongside the container vessel. The tank contained about 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel.

Cargo operations at the Port have been mostly unaffected by the incident, except in a 500-yard safety zone placed around the Mississippi, which was carrying 2,412 containers at the time of the incident. Containers began falling at 8:48 a.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard, Jacobsen Port Pilots and the Port of Long Beach are working together to facilitate navigation in accordance with the safety zone.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson assured the public that officials are cognizant of the seriousness of any interruption of cargo flow at the Port of Long Beach, the nation’s second-busiest seaport.

There has been one reported minor injury related to the incident.

“We are grateful that no one was hurt and that everyone is safe, especially our local dockworkers, following the Pier G container incident,” Richardson said. “While events like this are extremely rare at the Port of Long Beach, they underscore the importance of protecting the safety of our workers, first responders and the public. Our focus remains on a full recovery and supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s thorough investigation.”

“This is still a dynamic situation with many unknowns,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “However, we have contingency plans in place and are working with the intent to restore all port activities as soon and as safely as possible. I greatly value the strong partnerships and coordination with our partners and the work that is being done by all members of the Unified Command to minimize impacts to the Port.”

There are 22 cargo terminals at the Port of Long Beach. Six handle containers.

“Although this incident was at one berth at the Port, we will continue to act with caution as we recover containers and restore full operations at the Pier G terminal as quickly and safely as possible,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Thanks to the quick response by all involved – first the workers and companies right at the docks working the ship, then on to all of the agencies who have responded to protect life, safety and commerce.”

Other officials who spoke Wednesday included Long Beach Fire Department Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13 President Gary Herrera.

“Our crews responded swiftly and worked closely with Port authorities, the Coast Guard, and other local agencies to ensure safety at the scene. Fortunately, no significant injuries were reported,” Buchanan said. “This incident underscores the importance of preparedness and coordination across all levels of our maritime and emergency response infrastructure.”

“I’m here today to tell you that as the investigation goes on and the planning for the recovery goes on, the men and women of the ILWU are present to move those fallen containers out of the water to help make sure we have safe navigation in this harbor, and to get the Pier G terminal fully functional once again,” Herrera said.

The investigation to determine the cause of the incident is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. The Unified Command continues to conduct sonar surveys to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers submerged in the harbor. Recovered containers have been moved to a designated area surrounded by a boom.

Nonresponding personnel are asked to remain clear of the affected area until further notice. The Coast Guard is broadcasting hourly marine safety information to alert mariners of navigation hazards.