MSC HOUSTON V was forced to seek refuge at the Port of Vigo after losing containers in stormy weather during its voyage from Piraeus to Liverpool.

MSC HOUSTON V, a Portugal-flagged container ship operated by MSC, was forced to make an emergency stop at the Port of Vigo in Galicia after encountering severe storm conditions on March 20 that caused significant cargo shifting and damage to its deck.

The 4,400 TEU vessel was en route from Piraeus, Greece, to Liverpool, United Kingdom, when it was caught in rough seas and wind gusts of up to 90km/h as Storm Martinho swept through the waters off Cape St Vincent on Thursday.

Based on the images of the vessel, the aft-most container bays experienced cargo collapse, causing multiple container stacks to topple on each other like dominos. Some containers were left dangling over the starboard side near the stern damaging the deck in the process.

The harsh conditions resulted in the loss of at least 15 containers overboard, according to initial media reports, with no hazardous cargo among the lost containers. Seeking refuge from the storm, the MSC HOUSTON V arrived at the Port of Vigo on the morning of March 21 and is currently berthed at the Termavi container terminal at the Guixar pier.

It is expected to take a few days to re-stow and secure the cargo before the vessel can resume its passage to Northern Europe.

Source : Worldcargonews