German authorities say some of the containers have come ashore in the Netherlands.
Mediterranean Shipping Company said it has started a cleanup operation after its 19,224-TEU ship MSC Zoe lost more than 250 containers in the North Sea when it encountered heavy weather sailing from Bremerhaven on Wednesday.
Havariekommando, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, said of the more than 250 containers that went overboard, “six were spotted in German waters. … Up to 16 containers have been washed ashore on the Dutch coast; a further 12 containers are placed in front of the Dutch island of Terschelling.”
The ship, one of the largest in MSC’s fleet, was on Voyage FS848W of MSC’s Silk service between the Far East and North Europe when the incident occurred. MSC Zoe is now docked in Bremerhaven.
MSC said it is collaborating with local authorities and has appointed a salvage company to coordinate the retrieval of cargo and beach cleanup operations and also is deploying specialized ships equipped with sonar to search for missing cargo at sea.
“MSC takes this incident very seriously, both in terms of the impact of such accidents on the natural environment and in terms of any damage to customers’ cargo,” the company said.
The Associated Press reported Dutch authorities are warning the public to stay away from the containers as some have toxic and flammable chemicals as well as items such as toys, light bulbs and flat screens.
More than 250 containers washed off MSC ship
