The Singapore-flagged containership ONE Continuity has suffered significant cargo damage after encountering heavy weather south of the Canary Islands near Maspalomas. Powerful waves caused approximately 45 containers to fall overboard, while many others collapsed or were crushed as stacks shifted at the stern.
The vessel was transporting more than 16,000 empty containers from Le Havre to Singapore when the crew noticed multiple stacks listing dangerously to starboard. The master declared an emergency and suspended the voyage, diverting the ship to Las Palmas, where it arrived on 10 December.
A preliminary assessment found that nearly 100 containers had been destabilised, with ten rows at the stern suffering major collapse. At the owner’s request, authorities conducted a drone inspection to evaluate damage to both the cargo stacks and the ship’s structure.
On 11 December, a complex cargo recovery operation began, involving eight specialised technicians and dockworkers using baskets suspended from high cranes to access the damaged stacks. Around 20 containers at the stern had to be cut free from twisted lashings before being lowered ashore. According to workers on site, the securing bars had shifted significantly under the force of the waves, but stabilisation efforts are progressing.
Lashing specialists are now working to restore the stability of remaining stacks so the vessel can resume its voyage to China. Once the offloading is complete, repairs will be carried out on parts of the mooring equipment that were also affected during the incident.
Built in 2008, the ONE Continuity measures 320.37 metres in length and 46 metres in width and is part of the global fleet operated by Ocean Network Express (ONE), one of the world’s leading container carriers.
