Classification
- Incident Type: Cargo Loss
- Severity: Medium
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | MSC Houston V |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Portugal [PT] |
| IMO Number | 9463281 |
| Gross Tonnage | 44768 |
| LOA (m) | 266 |
| TEU | 4,432 |
| Year Built | 2010 |
| Owner/Operator | MSC |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2025-03-21 |
| Location | Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal |
| Region | Atlantic Ocean |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | At least 15 containers lost overboard; many others damaged or hanging over the starboard side. |
| Outcome | The vessel diverted to Vigo, where compromised cargo was to be secured and removed; no casualty counts or economic loss estimate were reported. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage |
Key facts
- The vessel was sailing from Piraeus, Greece, to Liverpool when it encountered rough seas and wind gusts of up to 48 knots as Storm Martinho affected waters off Cape St Vincent.
- Splash247 reported that a partial stack collapse led to at least 15 containers being lost overboard.
- Many other containers were reported damaged or hanging over the starboard side.
- The 266-metre vessel made an urgent stop at Vigo, Spain, and was berthed at Termavi Terminal while port authorities planned how to reposition or remove the compromised containers safely.
Narrative
On 2025-03-21, the MSC Houston V was sailing from Piraeus to Liverpool when it encountered rough seas and wind gusts of up to 48 knots as Storm Martinho affected the waters off Cape St Vincent, Portugal. Splash247 reported that the vessel then suffered a partial stack collapse. At least 15 containers went overboard, while many others were damaged or left hanging over the starboard side.
The casualty required the vessel to make an urgent stop at Vigo, Spain. It was berthed at the Termavi Terminal while port authorities developed a plan to reposition or remove the compromised containers. The Vigo Port Authority said that terminal cranes had been removed from the area and that a mobile crane would be used to protect stevedores and the terminal during the operation. The authority's president said the vessel was in port and posed no risk to navigation, including to fishing vessels, while the response was being organized.
The available account does not establish a separate investigation or identify a specific cargo-securing failure mechanism. The reported evidence supports heavy weather as the operating context and cargo loss with partial stack collapse as the principal consequences. No casualty counts or economic loss estimate are reported.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2025-03-21 | While sailing from Piraeus to Liverpool, MSC Houston V encountered Storm Martinho conditions off Cape St Vincent, suffered a partial stack collapse, and lost at least 15 containers overboard. |
| 2025-03-21 | Following the casualty, the vessel made an urgent stop at Vigo and was berthed at Termavi Terminal for safe handling of the damaged and displaced containers; the source provides no separate time. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy weather | Reported | Splash247 reported rough seas and wind gusts of up to 48 knots as Storm Martinho affected the vessel's route when the stack collapse and container losses occurred. |
Investigation
No official investigation report or findings are identified in the available account. The report does not establish the precise cargo-securing failure mechanism.
References
- Splash247, “MSC ship loses containers in storm off Portugal,” 2025-03-24.