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New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Underwater salvage operation of MSC Elsa 3 begins; cleanup, oil removal by July 3
KOCHI: The underwater salvage operation of the sunken container vessel MSC Elsa 3 commenced on Monday off the Kerala coast, with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Mumbai, supervising the multi-agency effort. The operation aims to cap fuel oil tank openings and remove oil from the sunken Liberian-flagged ship by July 3, subject to weather conditions. The container ship, which sank 13 nautical miles off Kochi on May 25, has triggered a coordinated response involving offshore and onshore agencies, including the Indian Coast Guard, state authorities, and international salvage firms. The Diving Support Vessel SEAMEC III has been deployed to the site, equipped with decompression systems, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and diving gear. A 12-member dive team is conducting air diving operations to locate and cap openings of the fuel oil tanks to prevent further seepage. 'The second stage of the operation, which involves oil removal via hot tapping, is scheduled to be completed by July 3,' a statement by DGS, Mumbai, said. Offshore support vessels Nand Saarthi and Offshore Warrior, engaged by T&T Salvage Singapore, remain at sea dispersing light oil sheen. The Indian Coast Guard's pollution response vessel ICGS Samudra Prahari continues to monitor the area. The Emergency Towing Vessel Water Lily has completed an initial multi-beam seabed survey, with data analysis currently under way.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Sunken vessel: Diving support vessel to commence underwater salvage
Kochi: The directorate general of shipping stated on Monday that a diving support vessel, SEAMEC III, would commence underwater salvage and diving operations in response to the sinking of the Liberian-flagged vessel, MSC ELSA 3. The statement mentioned that the owners and salvors mobilised DSV SEAMEC III. Twelve divers were arranged to carry out air diving operations. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and diving equipment, including decompression systems, were loaded onboard the ship to ensure it was fully operational and ready to undertake diving near the sunken vessel. In the first stage, the divers would identify the openings of fuel oil tanks and carry out capping to prevent any oil seepage from the vessel. According to the plan given by the salvors, the removal of oil from the fuel oil tanks by hot tapping would be done during the second stage, scheduled to complete by July 3, subject to weather conditions. The statement added that representatives of the P & I Club of the vessel and the ship owners met with the state govt and agreed to settle claims in accordance with the law. The statutory investigation under the Merchant Shipping Act, leading to the identification of the causal factor of the incident, was also being undertaken by the Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, said the DGS statement. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Offshore support vessels Nand Saarthi and Offshore Warrior remained deployed (engaged by TT Salvage, Singapore) and continuously engaged in the removal and dispersal of light oil sheen noticed at the surface. The Indian Coast Guard pollution response vessel, ICGS Samudra Prahari, continued to remain deployed near the sunken vessel for monitoring the situation and dealing with any eventuality. The emergency towing vessel (ETV) Water Lily conducted a multibeam seabed survey since June 5 at the datum location. The initial phase of the survey was completed, and data was currently under analysis, with the report expected shortly. Container salvage efforts by Marine Emergency Response Services (MERC, Gujarat) along the shoreline saw continued progress. The MSC and the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club insurer of the vessel appointed the firm MERC for the removal of containers and other shoreline clean-up activities. To date, a total of 51 containers out of 61 washed ashore were successfully recovered and delivered to port, while the remaining 10 were currently under active salvage. These included several challenging and partially submerged containers being addressed by dedicated response teams in coordination with the local administration. It was emphasised that none of the 61 containers washed ashore contained any hazardous substances.
