Container Ship Runs Aground Near Poydras, Louisiana

alt — The Belita, seen here as the Parsifal, circa 2019 (file image courtesy Corey Seeman)

[Brief] On Friday morning, an 8,000 TEU container vessel ran aground near mile marker 81 of the Mississippi River, near Poydras, Louisiana.

At about 0320 hours on Friday, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call reporting that the Liberian-flagged container ship Belita (ex name Parsifal) had run aground near mile marker 81 of the Mississippi River.

According to local media, the vessel is aground on riprap on the river bank. It did not strike the levee. Sector New Orleans vessel traffic service placed a one-way traffic restriction in the vicinity of the grounded vessel.

“Our top priority in this incident is the safe recovery of this vessel, while protecting the marine environment,” said Capt. Kristi Luttrell, Sector New Orleans commanding officer.

There are no reports of pollution or injuries, and the cause of the incident is under investigation.

As of Friday afternoon, the Belita was under way once more, headed upbound with a tug escort.