Salvage work began Wednesday at the Port of Long Beach to recover dozens of shipping containers that fell off a cargo vessel, with many ending up in the water.
About 75 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.
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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, with only the portion of Pier G where the containers fell remaining closed.
Operations to recover the wayward metal containers began Wednesday morning, according to a port official, who said no hazardous materials have been identified.
Fire and police departments responded along with the Coast Guard, which established a safety zone about 250 yards around the pier. It was later expanded to 500 yards.
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.
"An investigation led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board is underway to determine the cause of the incident," according to a statement from the Port.
The recovery is under the unified command of federal, state and local agencies.
"Sonar surveys are being conducted to locate approximately 25 to 30 containers submerged in the harbor to ensure the safe navigation of ship traffic," according to Port officials, who said a salvage plan that's being formulated will be implemented as soon as possible.
The unified command's is prioritizing the safety of workers and others at the scene "while also assessing security of the surrounding area to prevent further damage."
A pollution response vessel was at the scene "to address any potential discharge and a boom has been deployed to contain the containers in a designated area," officials said.
"Dockworkers (were) unloading containers from a separate ship that was berthed at Pier G before the incident and truck drivers are moving containers to and from the terminal," according to port officials. "No other terminals or port operations have been affected."
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