UAE expats' hopes sink after container ship collision

A number of expatriates in the UAE have been told their belongings have been lost after a container ship collision at a port in Pakistan, as it travelled between Dubai and the UK.

Around 21 shipping containers plunged into the sea when the Liberian flagger cargo ship Tolten collided with a docked vessel in Karachi.

Ten families in the UAE have been waiting for days for news of their belongings. This weekend they were told their possessions had been lost in the incident.

Some are considering what action to take against removals companies in charge of their goods.

Families said they lost priceless heirlooms and memories when their shipping containers went down in the port.

One Briton told UAE daily The National that his father-in-law's ashes were lost.

The 300-metre vessel had left the UAE for the UK port of Felixstowe when it made a scheduled stop at Karachi Port.

The collision happened while it was docking in the port, which was captured on camera.

Ship tracking website vesselfinder.com confirmed that 21 containers were lost when Tolten collided in Karachi and that the port had been temporarily closed following the incident.

Tolten's German operator Hapag-Lloyd AG is currently investigating the incident and in contact with customers regarding their belongings.