Wednesday, 18th July, MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) confirmed that in total five containers, one of which was found washed ashore near to the Gamtoos River Mouth yesterday, were washed off the deck of the Chinese Ship Anguan Gjing, sailing from Durban to Nigeria, over the past weekend in heavy sea storms, between Port Elizabeth and St Francis Bay.
The containers were reportedly lost overboard the ship over a period of a few days over this past weekends heavy sea swells.
Maritime navigational safety warnings were broadcast by Maritime Radio Services warning of the navigational hazard to shipping in that vicinity.
Today, Wednesday, 18th July, Police located a further three containers, two washed up in the same vicinity as the one from yesterday and one has washed up near to St Francis Bay.
The outstanding one container is either still adrift at sea or it may have washed ashore on a remote location and may not have been discovered yet.
MRCC has confirmed that all 5 containers are empty and present no environmental or health risk (it may be suspected that normal sea water could have now leaked into the containers).
No decisions have been taken yet by Maritime authorities on the salvage of the containers which are in remote areas on barely accessible stretches of coastline.
Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications
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