Oil Spill Risk Puts Coastal Areas On Alert After Ship With Hazardous Cargo Sinks Off Kerala Coast
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All crew members of Liberian-flagged container vessel, MSC ELSA 3, were rescued safely by the Indian authorities, however, the hazardous cargo aboard the vessel slid into the sea.
All crew members aboard the Liberian-flagged container vessel, MSC ELSA 3, which started tilting off the coast of Kochi on Saturday, were rescued safely before the ship capsized completely. However, containers slid into the sea, risking the spilling of oil and triggering environmental damage concerns, officials said on Sunday.
In the wake of the oil spill risk, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert to the locals to refrain from touching any object that may drift towards the coast and to keep away from them to ensure safety.
The three crew members had remained on the vessel as per the instructions from their company as the ship started tilting 38 nautical miles off Kochi's coast yesterday. The Indian authorities had earlier rescued 21 out of the 24 crew members on board, including 20 Filipinos, one Russian, a Georgian, and two Ukrainians. The remaining members were rescued by the Indian Navy ship.
MSC Elsa 3's parent company had reached out to the Indian officials, seeking urgent assistance after the vessel initially started tilting by 26 degrees. The 184-metre ship had departed from the Vizhinjam port to Kochi on Friday.
According to Coast Guard officials, they thought the ship would stabilise, however, water ingress led to its sinking. The remaining three crew members were saved by the Indian Navy ship INS Sujata.
According to Coast Guard inspector general (Western region) Bhisham Sharma, the containers of the sunken ship were floating around and could damage other ships sailing in the region.
'These containers can come ashore," he said, adding that the Kerala Chief Secretary was convening a meeting to assess the magnitude of danger the containers could pose.
The Coast Guard said it has taken full steps to deal with any possible pollution and is closely working with the state authorities to handle the situation.
The Coast Guard carried out rescue efforts by keeping ships and aircraft near the ship in trouble. In a statement, it said that the MSC Elsa 3 left Vizhinjam Port on Friday and was supposed to reach Kochi by Saturday. The ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with dangerous materials. Twelve of those had calcium carbide. The ship also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel in its tanks.
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May 25, 2025, 14:43 IST
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