The update on the ONE Apus maritime disaster as of the 11th December 2020 is that the operations for the safe removal of the remaining containers on deck have started after permission to proceed was granted by the Japanese Coast Guard..
The careful removal of the dislodged units under a schedule formulated by stowage planners is expected to take over a month with safety the number one priority..
Once unloaded, each will be assessed, and when the discharge of cargo is complete, there will be a full assessment of damage to the vessel and subsequent repairs. A thorough investigation is being conducted into this incident in conjunction with the Flag State (in this case Japan) and the relevant maritime authorities..
ONE has advised that as the discharge operation and investigation are expected to take some time, further updates will only be provided on an as-needed basis..
The ship remains safely berthed at the Port of Kobe after it encountered severe weather on Monday, November 30, 2020 leading to a container stack collapse of around 1,816 containers including 64 hazardous containers..
Stay tuned for more updates on the ONE Apus incident.. You can read all the updates thus far, here..
In the meantime you can read up more on containers falling off ships, who is responsible and the importance of proper lashing of containers on board..
If you need further info about container stowage itself, you can read up on the basics of container stowage planning and why it is important..
