The container ship ONE Apus arrived in the Port of Kobe, Japan, on 8 December. The ship lost 1816 containers during severe weather on Monday 30 November. 64 containers contained dangerous goods. Their contents have now been identified: fireworks, batteries and liquid ethanol.

The accident happened northwest of Hawaii, on a journey from the Chinese port of Yantian to Long Beach in the United States. Immediately after the accident, the captain turned back in order to rescue the remaining containers and assess the damage.

Container liner ONE has said that the estimated number of lost units remains at 1816 for the time being. Once berthed, it is expected to take some time to offload the dislodged containers that remain on board. Then, a thorough assessment will be made on the exact number and type of containers that have been lost or damaged.

Dangerous goods

Earlier, the company announced it estimated that 64 of the units that had fallen overboard contained dangerous goods. 54 have been identified to contain fireworks, eight hold batteries and two contain liquid ethanol. A notification has been sent to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers (JRCC) in Honolulu and Guam with maritime navigational warnings subsequently broadcast.

The JRCC in Honolulu has said there have not been sightings of any containers as yet.

Once the ONE Apus is in port and deemed safe, a full investigation will be conducted into the incident in conjunction with the flag state and the relevant maritime authorities.

Picture: Sister vessel ONE Cygnus in Rotterdam (by Kees Torn).