Toxic spill: Clean up first, invoke the law later
In the early hours of Sunday, a cargo ship capsized and sank off the coast of Kochi, Kerala, spelling trouble for a vast coastal stretch. Apart from over 84 tonnes of diesel and more than 367 tonnes of furnace oil, the Liberian-flagged vessel was carrying over 640 containers, many full of hazardous cargo.
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Alarmingly, a dozen had calcium carbide, which reacts with water to release acetylene, a highly flammable gas that puts marine life at harsh risks. The ship sank about 70km off Kochi's coast, but flotsam has shown up on the shores of Kollam and Alappuzha.
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A significant oil spill has been confirmed by the Indian Coast Guard and clean-up equipment has been despatched aboard a special ship. Skimmers and oil dispersants are reportedly being used.
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The director of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has warned that an oil slick could harm marine productivity, especially during the current breeding season, a crucial period for pelagic fish on which fisherfolk depend for livelihood. Fishing has been banned within a radius of about 37km from where the vessel went down.
Clearly, the ecological threat must be tackled first. How the law deals with any damages can come later.
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Business Standard
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22 crew members rescued in North Pacific after ship with cars catches fire
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 490 kilometers southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 kilometers west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations, Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment. The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives, Dean said. The 183 metre Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
ANCHORAGE: The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US coast guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 490 kilometers southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 kilometers west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. "The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations," Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment." The US coast guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the coast guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the coast guard's seventeenth district, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the coast guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. "We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives," Dean said. The 183 metre Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
27 Containers moved to Kollam Port after cargo ship sinking
Thiruvananthapuram: Following the sinking of the cargo ship, MSC ELSA 3, 27 containers that washed ashore in Kollam were moved to Kollam Port, said district collector N Devidas after a review meeting at the district collectorate. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials were tasked with assessing the damage caused to the fishermen and submitting a report, the collector said. The irrigation department is required to compile information on the damaged sea walls. The fisheries department is responsible for providing details of fishermen who own damaged nets and equipment. Village officers were assigned to estimate losses incurred by private individuals, he added. The containers with hazardous materials were not identified. A total of 44 containers reached Kollam and Karunagappally taluk areas, with 28 of them empty. The contents of four containers are under inspection. The remaining containers include items like green tea, newsprint, craft paper and paperboard. Recovery efforts are currently focused on Ozhukuthodu, Thirumullavaram, Kappil Beach and Neendakara, Devidas said. Under the pollution control board's guidance, the civil defence volunteers were cleaning the coastal areas where the containers washed ashore. Plastic bags from the region between Mundakkal and Thanni were removed and other waste in the Shaktikulangara area is being cleared. The board also collected samples for further examination. Although no oil spills were detected, all precautionary measures have been taken. Training was provided to officials and volunteers with the cooperation of the Indian Coast Guard. The recovery operations are being conducted by MERC (Maritime Emergency Response Centre) Private Ltd. The meeting held at the district collector's chamber was attended by ADM G Nirmal Kumar, sub-collector Nishant Sihara and other district-level officials.
