Containers fall off MOL vessel into Port of Oakland’s outer harbor

The empty containers were aboard the MOL Maxim, a seven-year-old, 79,373 deadweight-ton vessel, when they fell into the water in the Port of Oakland’s outer harbor.

   Efforts continued last weekend to recover 11 shipping containers that fell from a cargo vessel anchored at the Port of Oakland’s TraPac Terminal on the afternoon of Sept. 21. 
   The empty containers were aboard the cargo ship MOL Maxim, a 79,373 DWT, Marshall Islands-flagged seven-year-old vessel, when they fell for reasons that are still unknown.
   As of last weekend, four containers of the containers, which weigh at least 5,00 lbs. each, had been recovered and were latched to the dock, while the remainder were lost and presumed sunk. Port spokesman Mike Zampa informed the media that divers were being brought in to locate the remaining 20-foot and 40-foot containers, which had sunk about 50 feet.
   Once located, the containers are expected to removed from the water via crane, according to the port.
   The Coast Guard reported that the containers fell off the nearly 991-foot-long ship around 2:46 pm on Sept. 21. Workers managed to secure two of the TEUs to the dock and one was secured at a separate location, while another was on the dock.
   MOL Maxim had arrived at the port on the day of the incident, having sailed from the Port of Los Angeles. It is managed by MOL Shipmanagement Singapore and owned by Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines.