Fuel Leak Contained After Containers Fall at Long Beach
Publish Date:
Around 75 containers fell off the Mississippi at Pier G in Long Beach, damaging a clean-air barge and causing a fuel leak of ~2,000 gallons of renewable diesel. The leak has now been contained and salvage operations are underway as the port works to reopen navigation.
Incident Overview
During offloading operations at Pier G, approximately 75 containers toppled from the container ship Mississippi (chartered to ZIM, on its ZEX transpacific service). Some of the fallen containers struck a clean-air barge moored alongside, causing structural damage.
Fuel Leak & Containment
One of the tanks on the damaged barge was leaking about 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel. Authorities report that the leak has now been secured.
Salvage & Recovery Efforts
- Two sunken containers have already been retrieved.
- Unified Command, including the US Coast Guard and NTSB, is leading the investigation and recovery.
- Sonar surveys are being conducted to map submerged containers (estimated 25–30).
- A safety zone (500 yards) has been maintained around the vessel area.
Port Operations & Impact
- Cargo operations at Pier G were temporarily suspended for safety inspections, though the larger terminal remained open to truck traffic.
- Other piers resumed normal operations; overall port functionality was maintained.
- One minor injury was reported among barge workers.
Comments & Reactions
- ILWU Local 13’s President Gary Herrera stated the incident was not due to human error, defending dockers’ performance.
- Port CEO emphasized cautious recovery and thanked responding agencies.
- The port and local leadership stressed that, despite the mishap, operations in unaffected zones remained stable.
