Maersk Containership Loses About 70 Containers Overboard Off U.S. East Coast

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Maersk Containership Loses About 70 Containers Overboard Off U.S. East Coast

Maersk Shanghai loses containers
MV Maersk Shanghai. Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Marcin Kocoj 

A Maersk containership lost about 70 containers overboard on Saturday night while about 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.

The U.S. Coast Guard is warning mariners of navigation hazards.

The 324-meter Maersk Shanghai on Saturday night contacted USCG watchstanders at Sector North Carolina’s command center via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16, notifying them that they lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due to high winds and heavy seas.

The ship is sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Charleston, South Carolina, according to AIS data.

The incident comes as a powerful nor’easter slammed the East Coast over the weekend, producing hurricane force winds and significant wave heights up in excess of 40 feet.

The Coast Guard urges all mariners to transit this area with caution.

Here’s a look at the storm from NOAA’s NWS Ocean Prediction Center:

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