Potential oil spill threatens Kerala's southern coast after container ship capsizes
Authorities are closely monitoring the southern coast of Kerala following the capsizing of a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Arabian Sea on Saturday afternoon. The vessel, en route to Kochi Port from Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, tilted in rough sea conditions before multiple containers — some reportedly carrying 'hazardous cargo' —fell into the water and began to sink by Sunday, officials said.
As of Sunday, no oil spill has been reported. However, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information and Services (INCOIS) has warned that if spillage does occur, at least two coastal districts in southern Kerala could face contamination within 36 to 48 hours.
'At present, the oil spillage is not reported,' said TM Balakrishnan Nair, director of INCOIS, in a special forecast issued Sunday. 'If the oil spillage occurs, INCOIS has presented the scenario of affected areas. These coastal zones are at the risk of contamination and should be given prompt attention to minimize the potential environmental impact.'
The areas identified as most vulnerable include Alappuzha, Ambalapuzha, Arattupuzha, and Karunagappally.
Among the containers the vessel was carrying were 13 that contained what the Coast Guard said was 'hazardous cargo' and 12 that contained calcium carbide. Following a rescue operation that started late Saturday, the Indian Coast Guard and personnel from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority have been able to save all crew members.
Since the incident is just about nearing 24 hours, the incident of oil spill has not commenced yet, INCOIS stated in its special forecast message on Sunday.
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