Plastic pellets from sunken Liberian ship found in coastal areas of Rameswaram
More than 20 bags containing plastic pellets and other unidentified materials were found in the 12-km stretch of coastal areas of Dhanushkodi, Arichalmunai and near Kothandaramaswamy temple here on Monday. They were similar to the nurdles which were found in the coastal areas of Kanniyakumari about a week ago,
Police sources believe that the bags must have been washed ashore from the Liberian container ship MSC Elsa 3, that sank off the Kochi coast on May 25.
Containers and cargo from the ship initially washed ashore along Kerala's coastline, but strong winds and ocean currents soon carried them to the waters of Kanyakumari and other areas.
Police said they found 23 such bags filled with plastic pellets in the coastal stretch, but they believe that many more could reach the shore in the coming days.
As few of the bags were damaged, the plastic pellets got scattered around the area.
The revenue administration has warned against handling the bags and pellets, cautioning fisherfolk and tourists due to uncertainty over the chemical properties of the materials.
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Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
FIR against Liberian flagged ship that sank off Kerala coast
Over two weeks when the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 sank off the coast of Kerala, the state police on Wednesday booked the owner of the ship, its master and the crew members for rash navigation and negligent conduct involving poisonous substances among other charges, officials said. The cargo vessel sank 14.5 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on the morning of May 25 while sailing to Kochi from the Vizhinjam International Seaport. As the ship sank, over 640 containers that were aboard went down along with it. According to officials, at least 12 of those contained calcium carbide, a chemical that reacts dangerously with water as it releases acetylene gas, which is highly combustible. While efforts are currently on to extract the fuel oil and marine diesel from the sunken ship's tank, the containers filled with hazardous substances have not yet been cleared from the sea yet. A mechanical failure in the ship's ballast system was seen as one of the primary reasons that led to the vessel's sinking. On the basis of a complaint by C Shamji of Neerkunnam Matsya Gramam in Alappuzha, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Fort Kochi Coastal Police station. It named the owner of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the ship master and the crew as first, second and third accused respectively. HT has seen the report. It stated that the neglect by the accused led to the mishap involving the ELSA 3 vessel. It further stated that there was environmental damage in the region in the form of plastic and other hazardous materials that were being discharged in the sea. It also said the accident caused huge losses to the fisherfolk and obstruction to the movement of ships. The accused have been booked under sections 282, 285, 286, 287, 288 and and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (2023). Following the police action, the Congress questioned why a case was filed after a delay of 17 days from when the ship sank and demanded an answer from the state government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Congress general secretary and Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal claimed, in a Facebook post, that the state and central governments did nothing till now as the shipping company has business relations with the Adani Group. He claimed that it was due to the persistent demands by the Congress that the police action was taken. The FIR comes days after the state government faced intense criticism by the opposition and environmental activists over delay in initiating criminal charges against the shipping company and crew of the MSC ELSA 3 vessel. An official note prepared by the chief secretary A Jayathilak said that the government was intending to file compensation claims based on damages rather than immediately file a criminal case. The note said that MSC was a reputed firm which patronises the Vizhinjam port. With PTI inputs
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
16 days on, police register case over cargo ship sinking
Kochi: Police on Wednesday registered a case of rash navigation against the owner, master and crew of the Liberian-flagged vessel MSC Elsa 3, which sank 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappilly, Alappuzha, on May 25. Fort Kochi coastal police registered the FIR based on a complaint filed by C Shamji of Neerkkunnam Matsya Gramam in Alappuzha. The police action followed mounting pressure from fishing communities and political organisations over the lack of accountability for the incident. The opposition had on Tuesday criticised the govt for not lodging a case in the matter, after reports said the state preferred the insurance route. According to the FIR, the crew and operators of the vessel acted with gross negligence despite being aware that the cargo included flammable goods and explosive materials. Their alleged mishandling led to the sinking of the vessel, resulting in serious environmental consequences and economic losses for the local fishing community. The ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam when it capsized. The FIR has been filed under Sections 282 (rash navigation of vessel), 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substances), 287 (negligent conduct with fire or combustible materials), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substances) and 3(5) (joint criminal liability for common intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The FIR also notes that the sunken containers released hazardous plastic debris and waste into the sea, damaging marine ecosystems and affecting livelihoods, besides the wreckage posing a navigation hazard to other vessels. Besides declaring the wreckage as a state-specific disaster, the govt had asked the vessel owner to take full responsibility for the damage caused. It had also initiated various measures to contain the ecological damage. According to the directorate general of shipping, the vessel carried 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil. A recent report by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said 56 containers were retrieved, with four more under active recovery.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt slapped weak charges against MSC, says Cong
T'puram/Thrissur: Congress leaders on Wednesday alleged that govt slapped very weak charges against the owners of cargo ship MSC ELSA 3, which sank off Kerala coast, to protect Adani Group 's interests. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said, "Initially, govt decided to demand compensation. In previous incidents, all states have slapped cases and taken the stance of obtaining compensation from shipping companies to aid the victims, including fishermen. However, disregarding precedents, chief minister and chief secretary decided against filing a case against the shipping company. The port minister recently stated that only Centre could take legal action," said Satheesan. "The collusion between state and central govts to unfairly support the shipping company associated with Adani has now come to light. Although govt is now compelled to file a case, legal experts point out that only weak charges were imposed. If govt continues to protect Adani's interests while deceiving the public, they will face a strong public protest," he alleged. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal also came down heavily on LDF govt for the delay in registering a case. He said that immediately after the accident, he communicated the people's anxieties to the Prime Minister and shipping and fisheries ministers. "I requested them to register a case against the shipping company and to wrest adequate compensation to fish workers. In response, the defence secretary has given me a note on the steps taken so far," he said. Congress veteran Ramesh Chennithala questioned govt's 17-day delay in filing a case. "In an effort to protect corporate interests, port minister falsely claimed that Kerala couldn't file a case. Currently, in Kerala, Adani and those associated with him seem to be above the law," he alleged.
