WASHINGTON - Ocean vessels lost more than 500 shipping containers at sea in 2024, which was more than double the number lost during the previous year, according to a newly released report by the World Shipping Council .

While the figure marks a significant rise from the record-low 221 containers lost in 2023, the amount remains well below the 10-year annual average of 1,274.

The WSC attributes much of the increase to the ongoing conflict and security threats across the Middle East and Red Sea region.

These conditions are said to have forced a shift in shipping routes, causing vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa - a region notorious for its extreme weather .

Marine traffic around the Cape surged by 191% compared to recent years, as vessels from the Middle Eas

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