Cape storm: Ship loses cargo, 500-tonne fuel filled container 'greatest concern'

Lester Kiewit speaks to Sobantu Tilayi, the COO of the SA Maritime Safety Authority.

The recent storms and weather conditions in Cape Town has caused missing containers at sea.

An ultra-large container vessel, the 'CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin,' remains anchored in sheltered waters in Algoa Bay.

The vessel is undergoing a comprehensive assessment while its cargo is being secured after reporting a collapsed container stack and the loss of 44 containers at sea.

The Maltese-flagged 18,000 TEU container vessel, built in 2015, encountered bad weather in the Indian Ocean near Durban on the morning of 9 July 2024.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has been assured by the vessel's owners that none of the lost containers contain dangerous goods or marine pollutants.

A navigation warning has been issued to all vessels operating in the area, advising them to navigate with caution. At the same time, aerial surveys are being conducted to check the coastline for the lost containers.

The public are urged to report any sightings of the lost containers to the relevant authorities by contacting the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303 with the position, number, and colour of the containers if observed.

The owners of the 'CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin' are cooperating fully with South African authorities to address the situation and to ensure the safe resumption of the vessel’s voyage to her original destination port.

Some missing containers have been sited in the South of East London while a navigational warning has been alerted to passing vessels which might come into contact with the missing containers.

Most container ships can sink but they can also float to the top of the ocean, posing risks to ships travelling in the same direction, adds Tilayi.

"We're dealing with a bit of a carnage... we think it's all in the vicinity between just south of Durban and north of East London, which is the actual wild coast."

- Sobantu Tilayi, COO - SA Maritime Safety Authority

The authority's greatest concern right now is a container filled with 500 tonnes of sulphur fuel which is stuck and needs a salvage plan.

"What limits us is the weather windows we have to work with now, we're lucky because the ships won't break apart because they are lined with sand, so we've got a bit of time by which we need to empty the fuel out of the ship... but there is no risk of pollution."

- Sobantu Tilayi, COO - SA Maritime Safety Authority

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.