An Ocean Network Express (ONE) container ship which suffered a container collapse in the Atlantic is now unloading damaged containers in the US port of Charleston.
The 13,900-teu Madrid Bridge (built 2018) lost or damaged more around 140 containers in a January storm as it headed to the US East Coast from Asia via the Suez Canal.
The incident forced the Madrid Bridge to sail south and divert to Charleston, a move that also cut out scheduled calls at the East Coast ports of New York, Norfolk and Savannah.
ONE said the container ship is currently undergoing inspection and discharging operations at the Hugh K. Leatherman terminal at the Port of Charleston.
It said it hoped the ship would be ready to resume its journey to New York on 31 January.
There are suggestions that the vessel may have been a victim of the port delays and the current supply chain crisis.
Supply chain publication Loadstar reported it had seen a preliminary accident report indicating the vessel had been idling south of the Azores, to delay its arrival in New York, when it was hit by a heavy swell in 22-knot winds which caused the container collapse.
The casualty has drawn attention because there were several major container collapse incidents in the Pacific last winter involving ships of a similar size.
The Madrid Bridge is owned by Japan’s K Line and operated by ONE. Its protection and indemnity insurance is placed with the Japan P&I Club.
