MSC Vessel Losses Empties Rounding Cape of Good Hope

South Africa’s problem with overboard containers increased yet again last week with reports that a passing MSC vessel lost a few empties overboard. It adds to a total of more than 200 containers that have been lost overboard during this winter season as the number of vessels increases taking the Cape of Good Hope route.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed that it is searching for five empties that went overboard from the MSC Taranto last week. The vessel registered in Liberia operates under a long-term charter from investors in Germany to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. Built in 2011, it is one of the larger vessels with a length of 1,199 feet (365 meters) and a capacity of 14,000 TEU. 

The ship is operating on MSC’s Santana Route from South America having departed Brazil and is bound for China with a stop coming later this week in Colombo, Sri Lanka. SAMSA was alerted that five empty boxes were lost between 0100 and 0400 local time on October 2, 2024. They are putting the position between Mossel Bay and Stillbaai, along the southern coast in the Western Cape region.

Maritime safety alerts were issued and recovery efforts are underway. The authorities are searching for the boxes and also warning mariners and residents of the dangers.

The number of boxes going overboard off South Africa grew dramatically this season as vessels diverted around the Cape away from the Red Sea. SAMSA has received reports of over 200 containers lost overboard in just eight weeks starting in the middle of July. They have been informed of incidents involving the MSC Antonia, CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, CMA CGM Belem, and other vessels.

The largest of the losses was the CMA CGM Belem which lost 99 boxes north of Durban in the Eastern Cape region. The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin lost about 44 boxes in the same earlier while the MSC Antonia also lost about 46 containers in the Eastern Cape region. Experts had cautioned that the ships would encounter harsh weather conditions on this route during the winter months. Several of the vessels also had to seek sheltered waters and ports as they had additional stack collapses on deck.

SAMSA and the insurance companies had been coordinating recovery efforts including overflights looking for boxes floating in the water. Several containers also washed ashore on the beaches. The South African authorities were issuing warnings after pharmaceutical bottles began washing ashore after some of the containers appeared to break apart. Dozens of bottles of over-the-counter pain relief medicine were washing up on the Indian Ocean beaches as well as individual packets of snack foods.

Two weeks ago, MSC reported that it had retained vessels with specialized equipment including sonar searching for lost containers. The company said most of the debris from its prior loss had been recovered while the specialists were working to retrieve additional containers that could be a danger to shipping and the environment.