Kerala Govt, owners of sunken vessel MSC ELSA3 decide to settle claims
Thiruvananthapuram, June 10 (UNI) Kerala government held a meeting with the representatives of the owners of the sunken container vessel MSC ELSA3 and the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club and agreed to the settlement of claims in accordance with applicable laws.
The clean-up of plastic nurdles washed ashore on the Trivandrum and Kanyakumari coastlines is progressing in coordination with MERC, district authorities, and the State Disaster Management Authorities.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been issued by the state government for the systematic deployment of trained volunteers from NGOs and civil defence, and its implementation began on 8 June.
The underwater salvage operation of the sunken container vessel MSC ELSA 3 commenced on June 9, off the Kerala coast.
The operation marks a critical phase in the ongoing maritime response effort led by the Directorate General of Shipping, in close coordination with the Indian Coast Guard and State Authorities.
The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged container ship, sank 13 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala on 25 May 2025. Since then, efforts have been underway to contain pollution, assess the seabed, and prepare for underwater operations.
While there have been no reports of oil pollution along the shoreline to date, necessary response equipment remains on standby as a precautionary measure.
Two offshore support vessels, Nand Saarthi and Offshore Warrior, engaged by T&T Salvage (Singapore), remain deployed at sea off the Kerala coast to manage and disperse a light oil sheen observed on the sea surface.
The Indian Coast Guard's pollution response vessel, ICGS Samudra Prahari, also continues to remain on site for monitoring and emergency response.
Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) Water Lily has been conducting a multibeam seabed survey since 5th June 2025. The initial phase of the survey is complete, and data is currently under analysis, with the report expected shortly.
The diving support vessel, SEAMEC III, mobilised by the owners and salvors, has reached the site and will begin underwater salvage operations today.
A team of twelve divers is on standby to conduct air diving operations. The vessel is equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), diving equipment, and decompression systems to support the operation.
In the initial stage, divers will identify and cap the openings of the fuel oil tanks to prevent further seepage. As per the plan given by the salvors, the second stage involving removal of oil from the tanks via hot tapping is scheduled to be completed by 03 July 2025, subject to weather conditions.
Marine Emergency Response Services (MERC, Gujarat), appointed by MSC and the Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club, is leading shoreline clean-up and container removal operations.
Of the 61 containers washed ashore, 51 have been recovered and delivered to port. The remaining 10 are under active salvage, including partially submerged and difficult-to-access containers. Authorities have confirmed that none of these 61 containers contain hazardous materials.
The Directorate General of Shipping continues to monitor the situation closely through coordination meetings every day and remains committed to ensuring swift, safe, and environmentally responsible operations in collaboration with all stakeholders.
The statutory investigation under the Merchant Shipping Act leading to the identification of the causal factor in the incident is also being undertaken by the Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi.
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