VIDEO & PICS of Massive Shipping Container Accident that Suspended Port of Long Beach Operations & Reminds About Importance of Cargo Insurance

Last week, there was a huge shipping container accident at the Port of Long Beach. Somewhere between 67 and 75 containers fell off a docked container ship, the Mississippi.

Thankfully, no one was killed. The only injury I’ve seen reported was a sprained ankle. As unloading of the ship was occurring, containers toppled, falling into the water and damaging a clean-air barge, which was connected to the Mississippi for taking emissions samples. Reportedly, it was a crew member of that smaller clean-air vessel who sprained his ankle, running from the falling containers. A “very light” oil spill came from the damaged emissions collection barge as well.

In reporting on the story, ABC News shared video taken of shipping containers toppling from the cargo ship:

Containers fell off the dock side of the ship too, as seen in this AP video:

Recovery operations to pull shipping containers from the water as well as an investigation into how this incident happened are currently underway.

Coast Guard photos taken largely by Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard B. Uranga give a glimpse into the recovery operations and show some of the mangled and waterlogged shipping containers:

The incident had a larger impact than lost and damaged cargo and delaying retrieval of other cargo from the Mississippi. It caused about a day-long suspension of operations at the Pier G terminal, rippling into longer delays at one of the most important ports in the country.

This is also yet another reminder of the importance of cargo insurance. The movement toward larger ships and increased density of shipping container stacks over the last decade or more has increased the risk of cargo damage. This doesn’t only come from containers toppling overboard but shipping containers getting crushed and fires on container ships increasing.

Container ship fires have actually massively increased. Check out these examples from the last decade, with a handful from this year alone:

• August 2025: Marie Maersk (Container ship) – Fire off the African coast.
• February 2025: Grande Brasile (Container ship) – Fire and power loss in the English Channel.
• February 2025: Grande Congo37 (Container ship) – Fire in the Atlantic.
• January 2025: ASL Bauhinia (Container ship) – Crew abandoned vessel after a fire in the Red Sea.
• August 2024: YM Mobility (Container ship) – Fire while docked in Ningbo, China.
• July 2024: Maersk Frankfurt (Container ship) – Fire off the west coast of India, with one crew fatality.
• May 2024: Northern Juvenile (Container ship) – Fire near Singapore.
• July 2023: MV Fremantle Highway (Car carrier) – Fire in the North Sea.
• July 2023: Grande Costa D’Avorio (Cargo ship) – Cargo fire during offloading in Newark, New Jersey, US; two firefighters died.
• February 2022: Felicity Ace (Car carrier) – Caught fire off the Azores and later sank.
• June 2020: MV Höegh Xiamen (Car carrier) – Caught fire while docked in Jacksonville, Florida, resulting in a total loss.
• March 2019: Grande America (RoRo cargo ship) – Caught fire and sank in the Bay of Biscay.
• September 2019: MV Golden Ray (Cargo ship) – Capsized and caught fire during salvage operations.
• December 2018: Sincerity Ace (Car carrier) – Caught fire in the Pacific Ocean.
• March 2018: Maersk Honam (Container ship) – Cargo fire in the Arabian Sea.
• February 2016: Ludwigshafen Express (Container ship) – Container fire.
• December 2015: Gunde Maersk (Cargo ship) – Fire incident.
• December 2015: Freighter Alpena (Freighter) – Fire incident.
• November 2015: MSC Katrina (Container ship) – Container fire.
• September 2015: Barzan (Cargo ship) – Cargo hold fire.
• August 2015: Caroline Maersk (Container ship) – Fire in containers. 

There are dangers beyond lost and damaged goods too. According to FreightWaves, cargo theft is surging in 2025:

“There have been 884 reported incidents in Q2 alone, totaling more than $128 million in losses. Well-organized theft operations are becoming increasingly bold, targeting high-value goods,” the shipping news outlet wrote to its subscribers in an email just this morning.

Cargo damage can happen in transit even on the most routine and otherwise smooth importing and exporting endeavors. Add hazards such as piracy; extreme weather like tropical storms and hurricanes; contamination, fires, and even explosions often caused by misdeclared cargo; political or terrorist attacks on ships, the likes of which have caused carriers to route away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal; cyber attacks; ship collisions; cargo theft; and more, and it quickly becomes obvious how essential cargo insurance is for shippers.