News24 | 99 containers lost at sea due to severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay

The CMA CGM Belem lost 99 shipping containers in severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay. The South African Maritime Safety Authority is searching for the containers. (Gonzalo Azumendi/Getty Images)

• The CMA CGM Belem lost 99 shipping containers at sea last week.
• The vessel had encountered severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay.
• Last month, another vessel lost 44 containers during severe weather.

Authorities are searching for 99 shipping containers lost at sea during severe weather last week.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) said the containers were lost off the coast of Richards Bay on 15 August.

"The CMA CGM Belem encountered severe weather … resulting in a significant stow collapse and the loss of 99 containers overboard. The vessel, measuring 336 metres in length and 51 metres wide, and with a current draft of 14.8 meters, initially sought refuge at Maputo Bay but was redirected to Gqeberha," said Samsa spokesperson Tebogo Ramatjie.

A navigational warning has been issued to ensure the safety of other vessels in the vicinity.

Ramatjie said:

"Authorities are also in the process of securing an aircraft to conduct aerial surveys over the predicted drift route of the containers, focusing on the coastline between Richards Bay and Port St Johns."

He added that the vessel's owners were fully cooperating with authorities.

The container ship is currently in Algoa Bay and is anchored at the Port of Ngqura.

Last month, another cargo ship lost 44 shipping containers at sea during bad weather. They are thought to be 500m underwater. Samsa says the containers are most likely outside of South Africa's waters.

The vessel, CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, reported a collapsed container stack in the Indian Ocean near Durban on the morning of 9 July.