Kerala: Liberian ship sinks off Kochi coast; Public advisory issued

United News of India

5 days ago

Kochi, May 25 (UNI) Following the sinking of the Liberian container vessel in the Arabian sea, a public advisory has been issued directing people not to approach or interact with any floating or beached containers or debris, as they may contain dangerous substances.
A total of 643 containers were on board, of which 73 were empty and 13 are carrying hazardous and dangerous goods, including Calcium Carbide; a chemical that reacts violently with water to release highly flammable acetylene gas.
On May 24 at around 1:25 pm, container ship MSC ELSA 3 capsized and subsequently sank in the Arabian Sea en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi Port.
All goods on board were non-duty paid at the time of the incident, and any unauthorized removal or pilferage of such goods is illegal, according to the advisory, issued by Office of the Chief Commisioner of Customs, Thiruvananthapuram Zone.
Customs Marine and Preventive units have been deployed along the Kerala coast, and surveillance is ongoing in coordination with other agencies.
Instead, anyone sighting such material is requested to immediately inform Customs Authorities at the below given numbers. Public cooperation is vital to ensuring safety and assisting ongoing recovery efforts, it added.
Contact numbers: Custom House, Kochi Control Room: 0484-2666422, Customs (Preventive) Control Room, Kochi: 0484-4569400, and Customs Preventive Unit, Alleppey: 0477-2991132.
UNI DS SS