The Straits Times
Unpredictable weather, exhausted crew and bigger ships also raise chances for mishaps
Ships are growing bigger, allowing for containers to be stacked higher than ever before. In such cases, a ship can become more unstable in a storm - it can roll at steep angles, putting strain on the securing of containers. The situation becomes even worse if the stack is top-heavy.PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published7 hours ago
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Shipping Containers Plunge Overboard as Supply Race Raises Risks Bloomberg 1 hr ago
(Bloomberg)
Containers piled high on giant vessels carrying everything from car tires to smartphones are toppling over at an alarming rate, sending millions of dollars of cargo sinking to the bottom of the ocean as pressure to speed deliveries raises the risk of safety errors.
The shipping industry is seeing the biggest spike in lost containers in seven years. More than 3,000 boxes dropped into the sea last year, and more than 1,000 have fallen overboard so far in 2021. The accidents are disrupting supply chains for hundreds of U.S. retailers and manufacturers such as Amazon and Tesla.
With boxes stacked ever higher, a ship can become more unstable in a storm wave after wave can cause the vessel to roll at steep angles, putting strain on the securing of containers. The situation becomes even worse if the stack is top-heavy.
Thousands of containers are falling off ships
More than 3,000 containers went overboard from container ships last year, with at least 1,000 lost this year already
Dislodged containers on the One Apus after it was hit by gale-force winds
Credit: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg
International shipping has always been a dangerous game, with hazards including storms, pirates - or even getting your ship stuck sideways in a canal. But pressure to speed up journeys and carry ever-greater carrier loads amid changing weather patterns has created a new hazard: containers plunging into the ocean.
Cargo worth tens of millions of dollars has fallen off ships in recent months, as the industry suffers the sharpest surge in lost containers for seven years.