An AP Moller-Maersk boxship that lost around 750 containers in a Pacific storm has cancelled its scheduled Port of Los Angeles call and diverted to Mexico.
The 13,092-teu Maersk Essen (built 2010) was scheduled to arrive at the California port on 22 January but instead is heading to the port of Lazaro Cardenas.
A Maersk official told TradeWinds that the vessel is due to undergo damage inspection at the Mexican port.
Cargo-damage inspectors are also keenly awaiting the arrival of the vessel after being instructed by anxious shippers.
The Maersk Essen lost around 750 containers after it sailed through a storm on 16 January north-west of Hawaii. It was heading to Los Angeles from Xiamen in China.
Claims consultancy WK Webster said the unloading operations for the vessel are expected to take some time and delay onward shipments.
“It is considered that, upon berthing, the operation to discharge affected containers will be complex and cargo interests can expect some delay,” the consultancy firm said.
“We are pressing the vessel's representatives to provide further information regarding the status of the containers affected by this incident and we will report further as additional information is obtained. Clearly, however, a significant number of containers have been lost overboard.”
The Maersk Essen's protection and indemnity cover is placed with Britannia P&I.
This incident comes shortly after the loss of the equivalent of 4,000 teu of containers from the Ocean Network Express-operated, 14,052-teu boxship ONE Apus (built 2019) in November 2020, which also occurred during a storm in the Pacific.
