APL ship aground off Ensenada
The 4,038-TEU vessel “APL Panama,” operated by APL on its weekly transpacific Mexico Asia Express service, ran aground Dec. 25 near the approach of the Mexican port of Ensenada.
APL said there is no sign of significant damage to the ship or any cargo. An attempt to refloat the vessel can only take place once specialized equipment has been transported to the scene.
“The grounding is a force majeure event under applicable service contracts and contracts of carriage. We are consulting with Mexican authorities who are still investigating the cause of the incident. Once the investigation is complete, we will work with the operators of the vessel to determine what new policies or procedures are required to prevent future incidents,” APL said.
APL said they are notifying all customers with cargo aboard the stricken ship and advise anyone with further queries to contact customer services: http://www.apl.com/contact.
