The Port Authority of Callao in Peru has announced the resumption of port operations on August 1, following a brief suspension earlier that day due to an incident involving the Evergreen containership Ever Lunar. The vessel lost approximately 50 containers overboard while anchored in the bay amid heavy fog, which limited visibility for port operations.
The Ever Lunar, a Taiwan-flagged ship built in 2015 with a capacity of 8,500 TEU, was inbound from Buenaventura, Colombia. Evergreen Marine reported that the ship experienced “sudden severe rolling.” This motion was possibly exacerbated by recent geophysical events, including a tsunami warning related to an earthquake in Russia, as well as adverse sea conditions and wave activity.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries among the crew during this incident. The containers that fell overboard were primarily filled with plastics and electronics, and authorities confirmed there was no hazardous cargo. To ensure safety, the port authority temporarily halted all traffic, including commercial shipping and recreational activities, while a recovery operation was organized.
Evergreen’s insurers engaged tugboats to assist with the retrieval of the containers, and investigations are underway to determine if equipment failure, such as a broken lashing system, contributed to the incident.
This event highlights the interplay between maritime logistics and environmental conditions, emphasizing the importance of safety protocols in preventing similar incidents in the future. The swift response from the Port Authority demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding maritime operations, paving the way for a more secure and reliable shipping environment as operations return to normal.
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