The Chicago Express is a fully cellular container ship built in 2006 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., in Ulsan, South Korea.

On September 5, 2006, eight nautical officer cadets stepped on board the Chicago Express in order to get real-life training and progress their future in the industry.

A Filipino AB on the bridge succumbed to his wounds sustained during the incident and was pronounced dead, while the master was airlifted to Hong Kong for treatment of serious injuries.

Officials found a banned sweet that caused the deaths of four children earlier in the year in a couple of containers from the ship.

This gave the officials probable cause to search the rest of the ship's cargo, in which they also found illegally imported goods such as 20,000 cigarettes, shrimp paste, condensed milk and beef jerky.