HM Coastguard confirmed that the incident occurred at around 6pm on 6 December near the Nab Tower, when up to 18 containers were initially reported to have fallen into the sea. Subsequent updates confirmed that 16 containers were lost. No crew members were injured, and the containers are believed to be carrying non-hazardous cargo.

Of the 16 containers, eight were reported to be carrying bananas, two were carrying plantain, one contained avocados, and the remaining five were empty.

By Sunday afternoon, five containers had washed ashore in the Selsey area. HM Coastguard, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Sussex Police have established safety cordons and are urging the public not to approach the containers.

Other containers have been sighted drifting offshore, prompting aerial searches by an HM Coastguard helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. Coastguard rescue teams from Selsey and Littlehampton remain on patrol, and maritime broadcasts have been issued to warn nearby vessels.

West Sussex County Council has confirmed that contracted response teams will begin arriving on morning of 8 December to clear the cargo that has washed ashore. The council will provide further information regarding the recovery and disposal of debris in due course.

Although all wreck material found in UK waters must usually be reported to the Receiver of Wreck, authorities have confirmed this will not apply to perishable goods in this incident.

Members of the public are urged to follow instructions issued by the council and emergency services. Failing to declare wreck items within 28 days is a criminal offence and could lead to further action.

The loss of cargo containers at sea represents a persistent and costly problem for the global shipping industry. In 2024, hundreds of these containers vanished into the ocean, with the World Shipping Council reporting a total of 576 incidents. While locating and retrieving any lost container is already a demanding task, the situation becomes far more complicated when containers rupture. 

In another incident earlier this year, more than 60 shipping containers fell from a cargo ship and into the ocean, on the morning of 9 September at the Port of Long Beach.

Source: SAFETY4SEA

#latestnews #theshippingtribune #containersfall #solent