A major container collapse occurred Tuesday morning at Pier G in the Port of Long Beach when approximately 67 containers toppled from the Portugal-flagged MV Mississippi. The incident, which began around 9 a.m., sent many containers into the harbor and others onto the pier.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Fire and Police Departments, Port of Long Beach, Army Corps of Engineers, and commercial partners have formed a Unified Command to manage the response. A Coast Guard safety zone extending 500 yards around the vessel has been established, with hourly marine safety broadcasts alerting nearby traffic. Air Station Ventura is conducting aerial surveillance of the scene.
No injuries were reported, and other port operations remain unaffected. However, cargo handling at Pier G, operated by International Transportation Service (ITS), has been suspended pending safety checks.
Eyewitness footage shows the collapse starting at the aft container stacks before spreading forward, with the ship briefly listing starboard away from the pier. Some containers also landed on a STAX Engineering emissions-capture barge positioned alongside the vessel.
The MV Mississippi, owned by MPC Container Ships ASA through its subsidiary MPC ECOBOX OPCO 4 AS, had arrived earlier that day from Yantian, China.
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the collapse. The incident comes as the shipping industry faces growing scrutiny over container safety. A 2024 World Shipping Council report found deficiencies in over 11% of inspected cargo shipments. The WSC has since promoted the CTU Code Quick Guide and Checklist to improve packing and handling standards.
The STAX barge involved is part of a newly launched emissions and carbon-capture system designed to help maritime operators comply with tougher environmental rules.
