The containership OOCL Sunflower lost approximately 57 containers overboard while sailing through severe weather in the North Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Island chain on March 3.
According to a global marine insurance and claims management company, the vessel encountered extreme weather and heavy seas, which caused violent ship motions. As a result, dozens of containers were lost overboard, while several others on deck were damaged or shifted from their positions.
Due to safety risks during the storm, the crew was unable to immediately assess the full extent of the damage. A complete inspection is expected once the vessel arrives at the Port of Long Beach, United States, where it is scheduled to dock on March 12.
The vessel departed Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on February 23 before encountering the harsh North Pacific conditions during the transpacific voyage.
MV OOCL Sunflower is a 2025-built containership sailing under the Hong Kong flag. The vessel measures 366.99 meters in length and 51.04 meters in beam, with a cargo capacity of 16,828 TEU.
Container losses during severe weather remain a persistent risk for large container vessels operating on transoceanic routes, particularly in the North Pacific, where winter storms regularly generate extreme sea states and strong winds.
