Containers That Carried Masks Fell Off from S’pore-Based Cargo Ship; Masks Washed on Australia Beach

By
Eryka Rojas
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We live in a day and age where surgical masks are more than just protective gear.

It has become a currency so precious that having two packs could just land you a seat amongst the greater-and-more-than-average people like Ellen Degeneres.

It protecc but most importantly it gives you swecc

Our story for today does have something to do with surgical masks hence that tiny excerpt

Hundreds (or maybe thousands) of surgical masks have washed up on the shores of Sydney, Australia.

Image: The Guardian (Aliy Potts)

The masks were contained in the 40 shipping containers that had fallen overboard the Singapore-flagged APL England due to rough weather conditions at sea.

So, what happened to these fashion accessories?

Awoke to Beaches Covered in Face Masks

The APL England was en route to Melbourne from China when the incident occured, reported The Guardian.

Image: Facebook (AMSA)

That’s so…hard to watch.

According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the ship had lost 40 containers during the ordeal. A statement confirmed that the incident took place on the morning of the 24 May 2020.

The cargo ship had reportedly experienced a loss of main engine power due to unfavourable weather conditions at sea. This led to heavy rolling on board and eventually resulted to the collapse of the container stacks.

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The containers thrown overboard had in them various goods that were lost at sea. This included: household appliances, building materials, and medical supplies.

What followed were reports of face masks washing up the beaches of Northern Sydney. The affected areas included Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach, Tamarama Beach and Magenta Beach.

Residents Come Together To Clean Affected Beaches

Concern started to grow amongst the locals as they worried that the excessive amount of plastic waste would endanger marine life.

On Wednesday morning, residents from the Eastern beaches came down to clear the debris that was washed ashore.

At least five of the missing containers have ended up on the shores of Sydney.

Image: Facebook (NSW)

Aliy Pott, who lives Bondi, was one of the many who went down to pick up the beach litter.

Image: The Guardian (Aliy Potts)

“When I got down, the beach looked like a tip. The whole left side of the beach was just covered. It was all medical masks and full packages of plastic containers not opened,” Aliy Pott told The Guardian.

“With the number of containers that fell, I’m worried this could be an everyday occurrence. People need to take the time to go down to their beach,” she said.

The authorities have advised its residents to refrain from entering the waters as there are still large submerged items in the drift.

Some of the affected beaches have also been closed for clean-up efforts.

Ship Brought in for Further Investigation

An update from the AMSA stated that the ship has been docked to safety at the Port of Brisbane.

According to the update, the Singapore-flagged vessel will be thoroughly checked for its compliance with both Australian and international maritime safety standards.

The AMSA is also determining whether the cargo ship had breached any Australian environmental protection regulations or standards that were applicable to the safe and secure carriage of cargo.

According to AMSA, this process could take at least a month or longer.

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Eryka Rojas
Email: [email protected]