An Ocean Network Express containership has lost a “significant” number of containers overboard in the Pacific Ocean approximately 1,600 nautical miles northwest of Hawaii, the ship’s manager has reported.

NYK Shipmanagement Pte Ltd said the containers were lost overboard during severe weather on Monday night (November 30) as the vessel was underway from Yantian, China to Long Beach, California. During the voyage, the vessel encounter a storm cell producing gale-force winds and large swells, causing the ship to roll heavily and resulting in the containers dislodging and falling into the ocean, the company said.

“The Master diverted the vessel to ensure the ongoing safety of the crew and ship until conditions eased,” it said.

The ONE Apus is a 14,000 TEU containership built in 2019 measuring 364-meters in length and sailing under the Japanese flag. The vessel operates on Ocean Network Express’s Far East Pacific 2 (FP2) Service.

“A notification was sent to the USCG in Honolulu and NYK Shipmanagement is coordinating with stakeholders to find a port of refuge for the vessel to assess any damages and determine the numbers of containers lost,” the statement from NYK Shipmanagement said.

“A full investigation will be conducted into this incident in conjunction with the Flag State and the relevant maritime authorities,” it added.

More information was expected to be released as it became available.