A cruise ship carrying up to 5,200 passengers has been stuck in Southampton after 18 shipping containers fell into the sea near the Isle of Wight. The P&O Cruises vessel Iona was scheduled to depart Saturday for a 14-day voyage to Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands, but remains in port as authorities work to locate the overboard cargo.
The containers fell from a cargo ship around 6pm on Saturday near the Nab Tower in the Solent, off Bembridge. A Maritime Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: «HM Coastguard was informed that, at around 1800 yesterday (6 December), 18 containers went overboard from a cargo ship, near the Nab Tower in the Solent. No crew members were injured and the containers are carrying non-hazardous cargo.»
The cargo included bananas and other non-hazardous materials. No injuries were reported among crew members on the cargo ship.
Response and Recovery
HM Coastguard is monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with authorities. The spokeswoman said: «HM Coastguard is closely monitoring the situation and working with the relevant authorities, including the vessel's owners, who are responsible for recovering the containers. Broadcasts are being sent to warn local shipping and Selsey Coastguard Rescue Team is on patrol.»
The vessel's owners are responsible for recovering the containers. The Iona is expected to remain in port until authorities confirm the containers' locations and clear the shipping route.
A P&O Cruises spokeswoman said: «Iona has remained in Southampton overnight following the loss of containers from a cargo ship yesterday.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
