Video: dramatic scenes as 75 containers plummet from cargo ship in California port
Dramatic footage captured dozens of cargo containers toppling from the vessel Mississippi at the Port of Long Beach in California, one of the busiest seaports in the United States.
The Portuguese-flagged container ship was berthed at Pier G just before 9am on Tuesday morning (9 September 2025) when stacks of containers collapsed, sending them into the water and onto Stax 2, a clean-air barge tied alongside the vessel, designed to capture emissions.
Initial reports estimated that about 67 containers fell into the harbour, though port officials updated the total number to 75 on Wednesday. A Port of Long Beach spokesperson, Art Marroquin, said the containers held “general cargo,” including clothing, shoes, electronics and furniture. Some merchandise and boxes were seen floating, but most containers remained sealed.
Video posted on social media showed stacks tumbling into the water and striking Stax 2. The barge sustained significant damage, began leaking oil, and produced a visible sheen in the water. Officials said the barge carried about 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel.
A Long Beach Fire Department boat used high-pressure water jets to corral floating containers, while cranes were deployed to retrieve those that had sunk. Currently, sonar surveys are being conducted to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers that are still submerged.
Authorities confirmed that one person sustained minor injuries. Speaking to various media outlets, Marroquin described it as “a miracle” that no one was seriously hurt.
The Mississippi, built in 2024 and owned by MPC Ecobox OPCO 4, an Ocean Yield company, is chartered by Zim. According to vessel tracking data, it had departed Yantian, China, on 26 August 2025 and arrived in Long Beach early on 9 September, fully laden with cargo.
The US Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone around the Mississippi and suspended cargo operations at Pier G, though the rest of the port remained open.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the incident, which occurred in calm weather and during offloading operations. Officials from the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are assessing the scene and have so far described the event as an “accident.”
“Zim is actively cooperating with local port authorities and relevant agencies to contain the situation and assess any potential environmental impact,” the company said in a statement.
Long Beach, which handles more than 9m 20-foot containers annually and one-quarter of all containers on the West Coast, had been named Best West Coast seaport in North America for the seventh straight year by Asia Cargo News four days before the accident.
“We’re not clear on how long it’s going to take, but we are working as fast as we can to clear it up and get operations back to normal here at Pier G,” Marroquin says.
