THE 2015-built, 19,000 teu containership MSC Zoe has lost some 270 containers overboard while several others were crushed on the upper deck and severely damaged or destroyed in a storm in the North Sea, according to a Lloyd’s List Intelligence report.

The vessel was en route from Sines in Portugal to Bremerhaven in Germany when it encountered heavy weather on January 2 near Borkum Island, the report said. Of the lost containers, 21 have been found washed up ashore but the others — including three containing organic peroxide, which is classified as a dangerous cargo — remain missing.

Mediterranean Shipping Company said in a press release that it had appointed a salvage company to coordinate the retrieval of cargo and beach clean-up operations and was also deploying specialised ships equipped with sonar to search for the missing cargo.

“MSC takes this incident very seriously, both in terms of the impact of such accidents on the natural environment and in terms of any damage to customers’ cargo. In all aspects of the clean-up MSC is collaborating with local authorities,” the company said.

The vessel proceeded to Bremerhaven for cargo discharge operations while the company is analysing the causes of the incident.