CG, Navy rescue 21 crew from tilting ship off Kochi
Kochi/T'puram: Twenty-one of the 24 crew members onboard a Liberia-flagged container vessel which began tilting dangerously around 38 nautical miles off Kochi coast were rescued on Saturday.
It is reported that some containers with hazardous cargo have fallen off the ship.
By Saturday night, 21 crew members were rescued, three crew members (captain, chief engineer and 2nd engineer) remained onboard to facilitate planned salvage operations.
Indian Coast Guard
(ICG) and Indian Navy ships, along with ICG aircraft, were continuing to coordinate and monitor the situation. Some containers have fallen due to vessel tilting, risk assessment is in progress.
All efforts are on to maintain stability of the vessel, said the defence PRO in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Kerala state disaster management authority (KSDMA) warned the people against coming in contact with the hazardous cargo — marine gas oil and very low sulphur fuel oil — that fell off the ship.
Earlier, according to a press note issued by the defence PRO, the 184-m-long vessel, MSC ELSA 3, that had departed from Vizhinjam port on May 23, was expected to arrive at Kochi on May 24.
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Around 1.25pm on Saturday (May 24), M/s MSC Ship management intimated Indian authorities regarding the development of a 26-degree list (a dangerous tilt or lean to one side) onboard their vessel, approximately 38nm south-west of Kochi, and sought urgent assistance.
One Navy ship and two ICG ships were in the area. Nine of the 24 crew members had abandoned the ship and were in liferafts when rescue operations were launched.
The crew comprised 20 Filipino nationals, two Ukrainians, one from Georgia and the captain being a Russian. Medical assistance was being provided to the rescued crew members aboard an ICG vessel, sources said.
DG Shipping, in coordination with ICG, issued directives to ship managers for providing urgent salvage services for the vessel, the note said.
At a news conference, Sekhar Kuriakose, member secretary of KSDMA, said, "There is a possibility that the containers and the oil can reach the state's coast.
The Coast Guard has informed us that in such a situation people should never go near the containers. If fishermen or people find any containers, oil slick or any material on the coast, they should alert the nearest police station or at 112," said Kuriakose.
Port minister V N Vasavan said that the Coast Guard, Navy and disaster management authorities are tackling the situation. "It is important that people along the coast or fishermen are careful," he said.
Marine oil is transported in containers if they are in small quantities. Sources said that the chemical from the containers can leak into the sea and the currents can take it to the coast. The entire coast, especially Thrissur-Kochi-Alappuzha region, can be at risk, sources added.
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