Container ship sinks off India's south coast with hazardous cargo
BENGALURU - A Liberian-flagged container ship with hazardous cargo has sunk off the coast of Kerala in India's south, the navy said on May 25 after rescuing all 24 crew members safely.
India's navy said the MSC ELSA 3, listed as a 184m-long freight ship, which was sailing from the Indian port of Vizhinjam to Kochi, ran into trouble on May 24 and issued a distress call.
Navy aircraft scrambled to the area and spotted two life rafts, with the container ship listing at a dangerous angle some 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi.
'All 24 crew members on board were rescued,' India's Ministry of Defence said in a statement, with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and a navy patrol boat collecting the sailors, who were from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and the Philippines.
'The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,' the statement said.
The Defence Ministry did not specify what was inside the containers it said were hazardous. Calcium carbide is used in the chemical industry, including for fertiliser production and steelmaking.
'Given the sensitive marine ecosystem along Kerala's coast, ICG has activated full pollution response preparedness,' the navy said.
The vessel also contained some 370 tonnes of fuel and oil but, while the coast guard had deployed 'detection systems', it said that 'so far, no oil spill has been reported'. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Alligator with no tail seen crossing the road in US, and the internet can't look away
A tail-less alligator was seen slowly making its way across Highway 23 in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on May 20. PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM ASHLYN BARTHOLOMEW/FACEBOOK Alligator with no tail seen crossing the road in US, and the internet can't look away An alligator without its long muscular tail was seen crossing a road in Louisiana, a scene many on the internet found both heartbreaking and amusing. The unfortunate reptile is seen slowly making its way across Highway 23 in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana , in a Facebook video posted on May 20 by Ms Ashlyn Bartholomew. The video has since been shared over 8,000 times and seen in many news outlets. 'I couldn't tell at first if he was an alligator or a big dog or what,' Ms Bartholomew told local outlet 'This was the first time I ever saw an alligator without a tail.' She said she first noticed the alligator lying down on one side of the road, 'minding his own business'. She then snapped a video of the animal as it ambled to the other side of the road , and captioned it with: 'Y'all be careful there's half an alligator walking on the road.' Mr Robert Mendyk, an expert on reptiles and amphibians at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, told the alligator probably lost its tail due to a run-in with a boat propeller or, most likely, a rival gator. He said alligators regularly survive such amputations. 'The wound walls itself off and heals,' he said. 'They have really phenomenal healing and regenerative abilities.' He also noted that if the alligator was attacked, it was likely by a male alligator with the 'bite force' to chomp off a tail. Many of those who saw Ms Batholomew's video said they felt sorry for the tailless alligator. 'I hope he lives, poor thing! Just trying to survive in his habitat,' Ms Angel Ancar commented on Ms Bartholomew's Facebook page. Ms Tara Wilkinson said in the same thread: 'Need to contact LDWF (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries). Poor guy probably can't swim.' Others could not help making fun of the sight of a tailless alligator. 'I guess the tail said 'see ya later, alligator',' said Ms Jaleesa Perry. Ms Ria Poirier quipped: 'That's one bad gator ok I'm laughing it looks like half gator n half dog.' There were also those with mixed feelings. 'This is not normal! This baby needs to be with a rehabber honestly but it looks so weird!' said Ms Paula Charier. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Navy plane crashes in South Korea
SEOUL - A navy plane has crashed in the southern city of Pohang in South Korea, a local government official said on May 29 . The crash happened at around 1.50pm (12.50pm, Singapore time), the official at the Pohang city government said. Four people were on board the patrol plane which crashed in the mountains on the east coast, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing authorities. Smoke was seen from the location where the plane appeared to have crashed, Yonhap said, citing a civilian witness. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Australian museum removes display wrongly labelling Chinese clothing as ‘Korean traditional attire'
Professor Seo Kyung-duk at Sungshin Women's University shared the news of the display's removal on his Instagram on May 29. PHOTOS: SEOKYOUNGDUK/INSTAGRAM SEOUL - The Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, has removed a display that mistakenly labelled Chinese-style clothing as 'Korean traditional attire' following complaints from the Korean community in Australia. Professor Seo Kyung-duk, who teaches liberal arts at Sungshin Women's University and a prominent advocate for promoting Korean culture abroad, shared this news of the display's removal on his Instagram on May 29. 'I heard about this from a lot of Koreans in Australia. It's such a great outcome,' Prof Seo wrote. He explained that after concerns were raised, the museum acknowledged the mistake and corrected the label to indicate that the clothing was Chinese-style. The final removal of the display, he said, was the result of collective action by the Korean community in Canberra. Prof Seo also underscored the significance of the display's removal. 'Even if the label is corrected, placing Chinese-style clothing in front of the Korean flag is bound to cause misunderstandings among foreign visitors,' he said. 'Given that China has recently been making false claims that hanbok originated from its own culture, this decision was very much welcomed.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
