Warning for Sydney coastline after dozens of containers fall off freight ship

A serious maritime warning remains in place for Sydney’s coastline after 83 metal containers fell off a freight ship.

Heavy seas pounded the fully-loaded Liberian ship last night, causing the containers to fall like dominoes 20 kilometres off Sydney Heads.

“The containers fell off in the middle of the night…quite often they’ll fall off on each other, so they’re damaged before they get into the water,” Angus Mitchell from Roads and Maritime Services told 9NEWS.

The scattered containers, and the cargo they contain-including nappies, surgical masks and building supplies- now pose a danger to other marine craft along the coast.

Any vessels in the area have been urged to keep a sharp lookout for the containers, and report sightings to any marine rescue base.

It is unlikely the Yang Ming-owned ship will be granted access to berth until tomorrow.

9NEWS understands the ship’s insurers have launched efforts to locate debris as it washes up along the coast.

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