On February 25, the Liberia-flagged container ship Ionikos lost a large number of containers overboard off Casablanca, Morocco, after encountering rough sea conditions shortly after departing the port.
The vessel had sailed from Casablanca bound for Spain after discharging cargo originating from China. Soon after leaving port, Ionikos reportedly met high waves that caused pronounced rolling. The heavy motion led to a cargo shift, resulting in the loss of around 85 containers into the sea near the harbour approaches.
Because the incident occurred at night, port authorities were initially unable to assess the full scale of the situation. The following morning, personnel from the Royal Gendarmerie spotted containers scattered near the entrance channel, prompting a coordinated search and area-safety operation.
The response involved five trawlers from the Royal Maritime Gendarmerie and the Royal Navy, supported by tugboats. An aircraft was also deployed to provide aerial surveillance of the area.
Reports indicate the missing containers carried non-hazardous cargo, including furniture, automotive parts, and other consumer goods. Authorities said no significant pollution was detected. As a precaution, vessel movements in Casablanca Port were temporarily suspended while the situation was assessed and the area secured.
Ionikos is a container ship built in 2009, measuring 259.8 meters in length and 32.2 meters in beam, with a capacity of 4,360 TEU.
