THE number of containers lost at sea in 2025 almost tripled compared to 2024, the latest report from the World Shipping Council has revealed.

A total of 1,478 containers were lost last year, compared to the 576 lost in 2024. While that is above the most recent three-year average, that spike can in part be attributed to several separate high-profile incidents, WSC said.

One such incident was the capsizing of Liberia-flagged, 1,730 teu MSC Elsa 3 (IMO: 9123221) off India in May 2025, during which 640 boxes were lost overboard.

Challenging weather, particularly in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, were partly to blame for the increase, the report said.

Yet fire-related incidents continue to challenge the sector too.

Perhaps the most high-profile example last year was Singapore-flagged, 4,252 teu, Wan Hai Lines-owned Wan Hai 503 (IMO: 9294862), which suffered multiple explosions off India’s southwest coast in June last year, resulting in the deaths of four seafarers.

Data from Allianz shows a containership fire occurs on average every 17 days, with misdeclared cargo a major cause of fire at sea.

WSC president Joe Kramek called misdeclared cargo a “known and preventable threat to seafarers, ships, cargo and the marine environment”.

“This is not a paperwork issue. It is a life-and-death safety issue,” he said.

“The vast majority of shippers do the right thing. But a small group of irresponsible actors are cutting corners, hiding risk and creating danger for everyone in the supply chain. They are also undermining diligent shippers who follow the rules.”

The increase in lost containers recorded in 2025 fits with periodic spikes, the report shows.

Numbers last year are still well down on the 5,578 containers lost in 2013, for example, and still just a fraction of the 280m boxes transported globally each year.

New requirements came into force on January 1, 2026 requiring masters to report any containers lost at sea or observed drifting. Flag states must also report the number of containers lost at sea on their registered vessels to the International Maritime Organization.