Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
NEW DELHI: India's southern state of Kerala was on high alert Sunday after a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said the 184-meter MSC Elsa 3 container ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam on Saturday, when it issued a distress call.
All 24 members of the vessel's crew — which included nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines — were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy.
'The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,' the ministry said.
It did not specify what other hazardous substances were onboard, but calcium carbide becomes dangerous on contact with water, producing acetylene gas, which is flammable and explosive.
The vessel was also loaded with more than 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil.
Diesel and furnace oil are both classified as marine pollutants. They are toxic to marine life and can contaminate coastal ecosystems.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a public warning on Saturday, when the ship started losing containers in the Arabian Sea. The authority's secretary told reporters that 'there is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore.'
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed spill detection systems.
'ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting aerial assessment of the affected area,' it said. 'As of now, no oil spill has been reported.'
What complicates pollution response is strong currents off the coast of Kerala, which if leakage occurs may move the spill toward the south, to Alleppey and Kollam districts, Prof. Biju Kumar, dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Kerala, told Arab News.
'These are the best fishing grounds, as far as Kerala is concerned. Any kind of oil spill will have consequences, which will affect marine life. The major issue will be the fish fauna,' he said.
'The major threat is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are the most toxic component in any oil. They may be absorbed by plankton, which is a major food source for the commercially available fish ... The PAH will remain in the water for a longer time. It essentially means that we need long-time monitoring if it happens.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
US hails Pakistan role in India ceasefire, counterterrorism cooperation
ISLAMABAD: The United States on Wednesday praised Pakistan's leadership for helping broker a ceasefire with India and deepening counterterrorism cooperation, saying such efforts had made both nations and the wider region more secure. The comments were made by US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker at her country's Independence Day reception in Islamabad. The ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10 following a four-day standoff between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, during which the two sides exchanged missile, drone and artillery fire in one of the most intense military escalations in their recent history. 'Our collaboration helped broker a ceasefire between Pakistan and India, a reminder that when we stand together, even persistent tensions can find a path to peace,' Baker said in her remarks. 'I want to echo President Trump's deep appreciation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal [Asim] Munir for their leadership and commitment in choosing the path of peace,' she continued, calling their vision 'transformative' while hoping to 'take the US-Pakistan relationship into new frontiers.' The US diplomat described the security and defense cooperation between the two countries as a pillar of bilateral partnership. 'For decades, our militaries have trained together, operated together and stood together to address shared threats, from terrorism to regional instability,' she continued. 'Through joint exercises, capacity-building programs and military education exchanges, we've improved not only the security of our own nations but the safety of the wider region.' 'I want to acknowledge and thank our US and Pakistani military officials for your dedication, sacrifice and shared mission to make both our countries safer – a legacy we deeply honor,' she added. Baker cited Pakistan's recent capture and extradition of the Daesh militant responsible for the deadly 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul as a major milestone, saying it reflected growing operational trust between the two countries. The attack killed 13 American service members and over 160 Afghan civilians during the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. 'Thanks to the leadership and resolve of Pakistan's military and security authorities, terrorists are being brought to justice,' she said. 'As President Trump noted in his March address to the US Congress, the bravery and wisdom of Pakistan's leadership has made both of our nations more secure.' The event marked the 249th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence and was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials, diplomats, business leaders and civil society representatives. Baker said the bilateral US-Pakistan relationship had grown stronger across multiple sectors, from security and trade to innovation and cultural exchange.
Arab News
21 hours ago
- Arab News
Barred for Gaza speech, MIT grad becomes symbol of courage for Indian students
NEW DELHI: When Megha Vemuri denounced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for ties to Israel's military, she was barred from the university's graduation — an incident that resonated in her ancestral India, where students say she inspires them to stand up for Palestinian liberation. The Indian-American class president of 2025, Vemuri addressed an MIT commencement ceremony last week. 'Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza. We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth. And it is a shame that MIT is a part of it,' she said, wearing a keffiyeh over her gown. Without naming Vemuri, the MIT said in a statement right after the event that the 'graduating senior' would not be permitted at the degree ceremony the next day. While the speech got her barred from campus, it soon gained global media attention. In India, Vemuri's ancestry put her in the media spotlight, at the same time drawing attention to Israel's ongoing deadly onslaught on Gaza — where, over the past year and a half, tens of thousands of people have been killed, critically wounded, and starved by Israel's daily attacks and aid blockades. 'A lot more of the Indian media covered it, and people get to know and hear what's happening … more and more people are realizing that this is not something you can be silent about,' Sreeja Dontireddy, a student at the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, told Arab News. 'I think what Megha Vemuri did was commendable and necessary at the same time … If you are given such a platform … and if you do not speak about Palestine, it would be a grave injustice.' Vemuri said in a statement to the media that she was not disappointed that she did not get to walk the stage with her classmates. 'For two entire graduation seasons, over two years now, thousands of bright Gazan students should have been able to walk across a stage and receive their diplomas. These students did not get to walk because Israel murdered them, displaced them from their homes, and destroyed their schools,' she said. 'I am, however, disappointed that MIT's officials massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process, with no indication of any specific policy broken. These repressive measures are proof that the university is guilty of aiding and abetting genocide … They want to distract from what is happening in Palestine and their role in it.' For Akriti Chaudhary and Himanshu Thakur, recent history graduates from Delhi University, their MIT peer's protest was something that inspired them to raise their voices more. 'Being a politically aware person, I feel really, really proud and really happy about people speaking up for the Palestinian cause,' Chaudhary said. 'It was difficult to digest the fact that she was barred from her own graduation ceremony … They want to curb all kinds of protest and all kinds of dissent. But it never works that way. It only inspires people to step in and talk about the situation.' It also inspires them to call things what they really are, 'to speak about (the Israeli) occupation, and to call a spade a spade, to call occupation an occupation,' Thakur added. 'We need more such voices to come forward, not only in the US but also in India … We need more Meghas in our campuses.' The opportunity created by Vemuri's MIT speech is also one for renewed momentum in activism in India. Priyambada, a physics student and coordinator of BDS India — a group advancing the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign in the country — believes their efforts will be strengthened. 'How can you punish someone for speaking against genocide?' she said. 'This is giving strength to students across the world and giving us the opportunity to stand by Megha and Palestinian liberation … All colleges and universities, students from everywhere and people who believe in justice should come forward.'
Al Arabiya
21 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Pakistan open, ‘not desperate' for talks with arch-rival India: FM
Pakistan is 'ready but not desperate' for talks with arch-rival India, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, in remarks that underline the lack of a thaw between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following their worst military conflict in decades. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery last month in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10. 'Whenever they ask for a dialogue, at whatever level, we are ready but we are not desperate,' Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told a news conference in Islamabad. The spark for the recent fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. Dar said Pakistan wanted a comprehensive dialogue on a range of issues including water, whereas India wanted to focus only on terrorism. 'That's not on. Nobody else is more serious than us. It takes two to tango,' he said, referring to comments by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that the talks should only cover the issue of terrorism. The Indian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dar's remarks. New Delhi has previously said that terrorism and dialogue cannot go hand in hand. Pakistan is keen to discuss water rights after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the April 22 attack. The treaty guarantees water for 80 percent of Pakistan's farms from three rivers that flow from India.
