The cargo ship MSC Zoe lost scores of shipping containers this week in the Wadden Sea off northern Europe during Storm Zeetje, which packed heavy winds and waves cresting over 30 feet high.
Photos from today (Jan. 3) and yesterday show containers from the Panamanian-registered ship floating at sea, while many others washed up on the shores of German and Dutch islands. Residents were spotted cleaning up debris including TV sets, furniture and clothing despite warnings that several missing containers were carrying powdered peroxide, which is flammable and can cause chemical burns.
Deutsche Well reported that a Dutch mayor has given the green light for locals to keep what they can grab, if they don’t mind waterlogged Ikea furniture:
Vlieland mayor Tineke Schokker said the municipality doesn’t mind scavenging.
“It’s just really nice of people,” she told local news agency ANP. “Processing it would cost more than the stuff is worth, and anyway with the two officers we have, it would be impossible to guard; the stuff is littered over the whole beach.”
