Container mishap shuts down Port of Long Beach pier

Dozens of containers from listing ship fall into harbor 

Containers float in the water near the listing vessel Mississippi at Pier G, Port of Long Beach, Sept. 9, 2025. (Photo: Coast Guard)

Operations at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach were shut down early Tuesday after dozens of containers fell into the water from a docked vessel.

A total of 67 containers were floating in the water while another 70 had collapsed aboard the Portugeuse-flagged Mississippi, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach said, which arrived Tuesday after departing Yantian, China on August 26.    

No injuries were reported in the mishap, which occurred when the ship listed to one side, the reports said, quoting the Coast Guard.

First responders established a safety zone around the 837-foot ship, which was built in March 2024. The owner and operator of the Mississippi were not immediately identified. 

Long Beach is the second-busiest U.S. container hub, and handles approximately 25,000 boxes each day.

Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.