Salvage work began Wednesday at the Port of Long Beach to recover dozens of shipping containers that fell off a cargo vessel and ended up in the water.
At least 67 containers fell from the vessel Mississippi at around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday at Pier G, berth 232, according to a U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer, who said there were no reported injuries.
The Coast Guard was informed of the mishap by the port pilot and dispatched vessels and air resources to the location.
Cargo operations were temporarily suspended at the terminal as responders worked to secure the containers, Port of Long Beach Public Information Officer Art Marroquin said Tuesday. The port was open Wednesday and only the portion of Pier G where the containers fell remained closed.
Operations to recover the wayward metal containers began Wednesday morning, according to a port official who said no hazardous materials have been identified at this point.
Local fire and police departments responded along with the Coast Guard, which established a safety zone about 250 yards around the pier.
A Long Beach Fire Department boat used jets of water to corral the containers.
Some merchandise could be seen floating, but most of the containers that went into the water did not break open. Several landed on a barge that was positioned alongside the Mississippi.
“Authorities will lead the effort to determine the cause of the incident,” Marroquin said.