Australian maritime authorities have completed their first inspection of an APL containership that lost 40 containers overboard in rough seas on Sunday.
Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) boarded the 5,510-teu APL England (built 2001) at the Port of Brisbane anchorage off Port Cartwright.
“Our team of surveyors conducted a seaworthiness inspection to establish the structural and operational condition of the ship following the collapse of container stacks on the deck,” an AMSA spokesperson said.
“The outcome of this inspection will help inform if, and how, the ship might be brought safely into the Port of Brisbane in conjunction with Maritime Safety Queensland.”
AMSA said that while it was still unclear exactly which containers had fallen overboard, initial indications were that the affected stacks contained a wide range of goods like household appliances, building materials and medical supplies.
“No dangerous goods appear to be in cargo in the affected areas and we are working closely with the ship’s cargo agent to confirm exactly which containers went overboard,” it said.
AMSA said it expects to have the outcome of the seaworthiness inspection and confirmation of the next steps by Wednesday morning.
“Once the ship is safely in port, we will begin our investigation, which will focus on the safety of the ship, including whether cargo was appropriately stacked and secured on board the ship and any potential breaches of environmental pollution regulations,” it said.
AMSA has said this latest incident was “remarkably similar” to the loss of containers from the 4,250-teu YM Efficiency (built 2009) on 1 June 2018 off Newcastle.
“Both ships reported a loss of main engine power during heavy seas, leading to heavy rolling and a collapse of containers stacks,” AMSA said.
The YM Efficiency's lost containers were recently recovered from the seabed in an operation costing several million dollars.
Earlier this month, AMSA confirmed it was taking legal action against Yang Ming Marine Transport to recoup the cost of recovering those containers that fell overboard.
The YM Efficiency reportedly lost 81 containers in gale-force winds off the coast of Newcastle and Port Stephens.
