Dozens of Shipping Containers Fall from Vessel at Port of Long Beach, Halting Operations

More than 60 shipping containers slipped off a cargo ship and fell into the ocean at the Port of Long Beach on Tuesday, forcing a temporary suspension of operations as port and federal responders worked to secure the lost cargo.

Port of Long Beach spokesman Art Marroquin told the Los Angeles Times the incident occurred just before 9 a.m. as the container ship Mississippi was docked at Terminal G. No injuries were reported. The United States Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone around the vessel and conducted aerial surveillance of the area while port crews and contractors moved to contain and recover the containers, according to local media.

Local television footage showed stacks of containers toppling over the side of the Mississippi and crashing into the water. Some containers were mangled on impact and at least some appeared to fall onto an anti-pollution vessel attached to the ship identified in reports as the STAX 2. ABC7 footage captured shoes and apparel floating in the surf after the collapse. Eyewitness video obtained by KTLA showed the Mississippi listing to one side following the event.

The number of containers that ended up in the water has been reported variously; port and media accounts put the figure at about 67, while other reports cited at least 50. A tugboat on scene was seen attempting to push cargo back to the pier, and crew members were observed using high-pressure water to keep drifting containers from floating farther out to sea.

The Port of Long Beach, which processes more than 9 million 20-foot equivalent units annually and handles roughly a quarter of the West Coast's container traffic, temporarily halted operations at Terminal G as the response and an initial survey were carried out. The nearby Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach together account for about 40% of U.S. container throughput, underscoring the potential for localized incidents to ripple through supply chains.

Federal, state and local agencies joined port responders in the immediate efforts. The Coast Guard's safety zone temporarily restricted vessel traffic near the Mississippi while salvage and environmental containment operations were initiated. Officials have not released details on whether hazardous materials were among the containers that fell into the water.

Investigators from the port and likely federal agencies were expected to examine the vessel, stow plans and dock operations to determine the cause of the collapse. Port officials and law enforcement did not immediately identify any mechanical failure, weather event or human error as the cause.

Port operations were described as temporarily suspended while crews secured the pier and assessed damage. Officials did not provide an estimate for when Terminal G would resume normal operations. The Port of Long Beach said it would update stakeholders and the public as more information became available.

Analysts say port incidents that remove capacity or require temporary suspensions can exacerbate existing congestion and delay vessel schedules, truck turn times and rail connections, although the scale of such effects depends on the duration of the disruption and how quickly cargo can be rerouted. The Port of Long Beach and private terminal operators maintain contingency and salvage procedures for container recoveries, but agencies cautioned that recovery of submerged and damaged containers can be time-consuming and costly.

This is a developing story. Port and federal authorities continue recovery and investigative work, and officials said they will provide further updates as they become available.