Maersk can’t contain themselves as cigarettes wash up on Devonshire coast

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Last week Maersk were found to have suffered a loss of almost 520 containers during a voyage over rough seas, with containers now starting to surface on the English coast.

Svendborg Maersk was battered by hurricane winds as it crossed the northern stretch of the Bay of Biscay on February 14th. Battling 30-foot waves and working through winds of 60 knots the ship arrived only to find that a large chunk of her cargo had been swept overboard.

The ship was originally heading from Rotterdam to Sri Lanka.

The shipping giant initially reported that only 70 containers had been lost in the storms.

However, last Wednesday this number skyrocketed to 517 – the largest recorded loss of containers overboard in a single incident.

Countless more are supposed to have been damaged when six of the bays tilted over.

Maersk have suggested that almost 85 percent of the containers were empty, with the rest containing mostly dry goods and frozen meats.

They also reinforced the fact that none of the containers were carrying harmful substances and that many had sunk in the turbulent seas.

Nevertheless, French authorities have been on the look out for floating containers, which can be hugely problematic for other shipping vessels, alongside a huge environmental risk.

According to New Zealand marine insurer Vero Marine, a 20-foot container can float for up to two months, whilst a 40-foot container may float up to three times longer.

Already, containers have been surfacing as far away as the coast of East Devon, United Kingdom. The 40-foot container washed up at Axmouth, near Seaton and is estimated to contain 14 tonnes of cigarettes.

Police were immediately called in to cordon off the area and scare away any would-be smokers hoping to make a steal and sneak off with a portion of the 11 million cigarettes.

The Maritime Coastguard Agency have since announced that the stores have been recovered and are being stored locally until they can be returned to Maersk.

Simon Porter, MCA counter pollution and salvage officer, made note that another two containers have been spotted mid-channel, and that they were looking to recover them as soon as possible.

In regards to surfacing cargo he made note to reiterate that all wreckage found in the UK must be reported to the MCA’s Receiver of Wreck by completing a form on their website:

“Those who don’t declare items are breaking the law and could find themselves facing hefty fines and paying the owner twice the value of the item recovered.”

French environmental group Robin des Bois has already announced that they would be suing Maersk for failure to disclose the extent of the loss, alongside putting the lives of others in danger and causing pollution of the seas.

As of yet, there has never been a requirement for shipping lines to report container loses to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) or any other international body.

In 2011, the World Shipping Council estimated that around 675 containers were lost at sea, whilst the Through Transport Club, which insures 15 of the top 20 container lines, has suggested that the number is closer to 2,000.

However, other sources suggest that this is no where near the true number, with some citing as many as 10,000 lost at sea each year.

Analysts have suggested that one of the reasons such loses can occur are due to the lack of accuracy when weighing containers before transit.

Some shippers have been found to understate the weight of containers in order to reduce shipping costs. Such misinformation can lead to uneven strain on a vessel as it transverses the seas.

One of the most notable incidents occurred in 2007 when the MSC Napoli ran aground off the English coast, breaking up and spilling 103 containers worth of toxic cargo, polluting five miles of the South Western coast.

The UK marine accident investigation board ruled that the accident was due to cargo being loaded in such a way that it exceeded the baring weight of the hull girders, resulting in a structural failure across the ship.

The report concluded that if such loses are to be prevented, it is essential that containers be weighed before embarkation.
 

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