On March 21, the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC Houston V encountered Storm Martinho off the coast of Portugal while en route from Piraeus to Liverpool
Encountering winds of up to 48 knots, the cargo began to shift violently, causing at least 15 containers to be thrown overboard, with most damaged or hanging off the starboard side
The ship made an emergency stop in the port of Vigo, Spain, where it remains moored at the Termavi terminal. Port authorities are conducting a full inspection to assess the extent of structural and cargo damage
📋 According to preliminary data, in addition to weather conditions, the situation may have been aggravated by deficiencies in cargo securing and stowage
🪝 Previous port calls
🟦Izmir (March 8)
🟦Gebze (March 10)
🟦Tekirdağ (March 12)
🟦Piraeus (March 14)
🟦Vigo (March 21, emergency stop)
🟦Expected arrival in Liverpool: March 26
🚢 MSC Houston V was built in 2010 by Hyundai Ulsan, has a capacity of 4,432 TEU and is insured by Steamship Mutual P&I
✈️ The incident again raises questions in the industry about cargo securing standards and the resilience of maritime transport to extreme weather conditions
