Com : The sea : Each year, more than 100 million containers are shipped across the globe on containerships that can now stretch the length of three soccer fields or more. Despite a large number of containers shipped, accidents are relatively rare, with the best estimates saying that less than 1,500 containers are lost from ships each year on average.

Com : Heartlener: Looked up the value of the MOL Comfort loss, between 300 and 400 million dollars, the ship itself 66 million, so just shy of HALF A BILLION DOLLARS. An illustration of much value in goods are being transported on these ships. P.S. loved the info, HATED the voice over. Please, don't do that.

Seems like most of the accidents are caused by something bad happening in the cargo, and if that doesn't kill the crew members right away, they usually get out okay. Seems like the shipping companies could save a lot of money (including lower insurance rates) if everyone insisted on proper screening of containers and proper manifest generation before they go on a ship, and then at least weighing the containers(*) as they are loaded to make sure that they are not different from what is declared. (*)Preferably gamma ray imaging of most of them, and manual inspection of those declared to have contents not compatible with irradiation. But at least make the loading cranes able to sense and report the weight and compare it to the cargo manifest.