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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Coast Guard confirms oil spill after container vessel sinks off Kerala coast, swings into action
KOCHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday confirmed oil spill in the Arabian sea, around the area off Kerala's coast where MSC Elsa 3, a Liberia-flagged container vessel carrying hazardous cargo and calcium carbide, sunk the day before. It has deployed three vessels and an aircraft for counter-pollution operations. The Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Vessels ICGS Saksham, ICGS Vikram and ICGS Samarth utilised infrared cameras to detect the oil spill area and sprayed OSD (Oil Spill Dispersant) to contain the spread. A Dornier aircraft is conducting aerial assessment and OSD dispersal in the 2x1 nautical miles area where the spill has been detected. The vessels are churning the waters using hoses and propeller to mix the dispersant. Meanwhile, ICG Ship Samudra Prahari, a specialised pollution response vessel carrying significant quantities of OSD, has set sail from Mumbai and is expected to reach Kochi on Tuesday. The Coast Guard said in a release: 'At approximately 0750 hrs on May 25, MSC Elsa 3 sank around 15 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, southwest of Alappuzha. The maritime incident has raised environmental concerns, including the potential for oil spill impact and drifting of debris and cargo ashore along Kerala's coastline. Within 2-3 hours of the vessel's submergence, the ICG surveillance aircraft detected the presence of an oil slick at the site at 11 am, the oil slick was observed drifting in east-southeast direction at an estimated speed of 1.5-2 knots (around 3.7 kmph). By 2pm, the spill was assessed to have spread over an area of approximately 2x1 nautical miles' The ship had 84.44 tonnes of diesel and 367.1 tonnes of furnace oil when it sank, and this caused the oil spill. Statement of ship's crew to be recorded today Confirming that the oil slick has not reached the shores, ICG has advised the state administration to prepare for shoreline cleanup operations. The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) , Kochi, has issued a warning to the vessel's owners regarding pollution liability and launched an investigation into the incident. MMD principal officer and Joint Director J Senthil Kumar met the 24 crew members of the sunken vessel on Monday. As the crew were yet to recover from the trauma, the MMD decided to record their statements on Tuesday.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Oil spill seen on video as over 100 containers float post Kochi shipwreck
Over 100 containers were spotted floating in sea on Monday after the Liberian-flagged container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 15 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, southwest of Alappuzha, on Sunday. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) released aerial visuals of the site, showing numerous containers and a visible spill spread across the water. The spill is estimated to have covered an area of 2x1 nautical miles, with some containers reportedly breaking apart and their contents dispersing into nearby waters. ICG Ship Saksham, already on standby in Pollution Response (PR) mode, was deployed to carry out counter-pollution efforts, while an ICG Dornier aircraft was flown over the area for aerial assessment and to spray Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD). Maritime advisories have been issued, warning vessels in the region to stay alert and navigate cautiously due to floating debris and potential hazards. The vessel, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, capsized roughly 38 nautical miles from the shore before sinking with its cargo. According to officials, the ship was carrying 643 containers, including 73 empty ones and 13 with hazardous materials, among them calcium carbide — a chemical known to react dangerously with water, releasing highly flammable acetylene gas. According to Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) Chairperson Sreekala S, no containers carrying calcium carbide have washed ashore so far, and only a thin oil sheen has been detected following the sinking of a Liberian-flagged vessel off the Kerala coast. After a high-level meeting and the submission of a status report to the state government, Sreekala told PTI that rough sea conditions had prevented dispersants from being sprayed by ships, prompting authorities to use aircraft instead. "The waves are four to five metres high, and ships cannot spray the dispersants. If we come across thickened oil, we use jute sacks filled with sawdust to absorb it," she said. She explained that if oil reaches the coast, beach cleaning efforts will be launched in coordination with the Pollution Control Board and local administration. "The oil-contaminated sand will need to be scooped out and sent to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited, a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility located at Ambalamugal, Kochi. We have contacted them, and they are ready with equipment and trucks to transport the sand,' she said. So far, she confirmed, no oil presence has been detected in Kollam or Alappuzha, where some containers have washed ashore. "We have collected water samples from all these areas," she said. Sreekala also said concerns about calcium carbide reacting with seawater are, for now, unfounded. "We have no reports of any containers carrying calcium carbide reaching the shores," she said. In the event such a container does reach land, several agencies including the Fire Force, Chemical Explosives Department, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, and the Department of Factories and Boilers are prepared to respond. "They have a protocol in place for that. Scientifically, if calcium carbide mixes with water, it can produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. Acetylene is a highly inflammable gas when it comes into contact with water. It cannot be extinguished with water—dust or clay powder is used to douse such fires," she said, adding that all precautions are in place should such a scenario arise. To prevent the oil slick from reaching Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes, the KPCB is set to send a request to the Coast Guard via the State Disaster Management Authority for deploying boomers at key locations. "The letter is ready, requesting the Coast Guard to place boomers at Thottappally Spillway to prevent the spread to Vembanad, and at Neendakara to prevent the spread to Ashtamudi Lake. If the Coast Guard does not have the required number, we will have to source them from elsewhere," she said. The KPCB has been on high alert since the evening of May 24, she said, and field officers have been deployed to monitor the coastline from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. "Then we were informed that the containers were moving towards the southern direction, and our officials were sent to Kollam and Alappuzha. They are coordinating with other agencies," she added. Recovery and handling of the sunken containers will be overseen by the Directorate General of Shipping and other authorities. The high-level meeting was held to assess all possible scenarios, Sreekala said. (With ANI, PTI inputs)
United News of India
6 days ago
- General
- United News of India
Three ICG vessels deployed to detect oil spill areas in Arabian Sea
Kochi, May 26 (UNI) Three Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessels have been deployed to detect oil spill areas after the sinking of the Liberian container vessel, which capsized and subsequently sank in the Arabian Sea en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi Port. The ICG vessels, Vikram, Saksham and Samarth were deployed in the area in Pollution Response configuration. These vessels utilised IR cameras to detect the oil spill area and utilised OSD (Oil Spill Desperant) to contain the spread of oil. An ICG Dornier aircraft equipped with specialised gear has been positioned in Kochi to undertake an aerial assessment of the oil spill situation. Additionally, a dedicated Pollution Control vessel 'Samudra Prahari' is being mobilised from Mumbai to further augment oil spill response efforts. ICG officials at DHQ-4 are maintaining constant communication with other Government officials in an advisory capacity for any shoreline cleanup operation. Earlier, a public advisory has been issued directing people not to approach or interact with any floating or beached containers or debris, as they may contain dangerous substances. A total of 643 containers were on board, of which 73 were empty and 13 were carrying hazardous goods, including Calcium Carbide; a chemical that reacts violently with water to release highly flammable acetylene gas. On May 24 at around 13:25 hrs, the container ship MSC ELSA 3 capsized and subsequently sank in the Arabian Sea en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi Port. All goods on board were non-duty paid at the time of the incident, and any unauthorized removal or pilferage of such goods is illegal, according to the advisory issued by the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Thiruvananthapuram Zone. Customs Marine and Preventive units have been deployed along the Kerala coast, and surveillance is ongoing in coordination with other agencies. Instead, anyone sighting such material is requested to immediately inform Customs Authorities at the below given numbers. Public cooperation is vital to ensuring safety and assisting ongoing recovery efforts, it said. Contact numbers: Custom House, Kochi Control Room: 0484-2666422, Customs (Preventive) Control Room, Kochi: 0484-4569400, and Customs Preventive Unit, Alleppey: 0477-2991132. UNI DS BD
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Former Andhra Pradesh cricketer, serial offender caught for impersonating Telangana CMO official
The Hyderabad police, on Thursday, arrested a 32-year-old former Andhra Pradesh cricketer for impersonating a senior official from the office of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and attempting to defraud prominent business figures. The Cyber Crime Police said Budumuru Nagaraju, a former Ranji cricketer, created a fake email ID reventhreddyosd@ and sent fraudulent emails to various business persons while impersonating the Personal Secretary and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister of Telangana State. Nagaraju, a Srikakulam native, allegedly used a mix of email, WhatsApp, and phone calls to contact and attempt to deceive his targets, the police said. The police received a complaint from the OSD to the CM of Telangana concerning the fraudulent activity. 'An individual, mobile number 9666349191, is sending fake emails (e.g., from reventhreddyosd@ and making WhatsApp calls, falsely representing themselves as the OSD's Personal Secretary and Officer on Special Duty. One instance involved contacting Krishna Mohan Bollineni, MD of Bollineni Infra Projects,' the complaint said. A case was registered under sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Srikakulam-native is found to be earlier involved in 13 cases in Telangana and 16 cases in Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) is pending against him in the XII additional chief metropolitan magistrate court, Nampally, police said. Nagaraju, in earlier instances, posed as high-profile political associates, including the personal secretaries of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former AP CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao, etc leading to his arrest in multiple cities. According to the police, he targeted several senior businessmen, including managing directors of Rapido, Gupta Realty, and Bollineni Infra Projects, using this fake identity, and attempted to solicit financial assistance under the guise of official requests. The police have issued a public advisory urging citizens to exercise caution and not respond to emails or messages purportedly from senior govt officials requesting financial favours. Victims of cybercrime are encouraged to report incidents by dialling 1930 or visiting
Time of India
16-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
BCA paper cancelled at NPU due to syllabus error
Daltonganj: The fifth paper examination of Bachelor of Computer Application at Nilamber Pitamber University was cancelled on Thursday, due to an error in the syllabus. The entire syllabus for the fifth paper was incorrectly structured. The fifth paper should have covered C++ programming language. Instead, the syllabus contained database management topics. Students at Daltonganj centre protested against the error in the question paper. The Daltonganj centre had 98 students registered for this examination. At a centre in Garhwa, 43 students were scheduled to take this paper. Dr Gaurav Srivastav, OSD to the exam department at Nilamber Pitamber University, said, "Under orders of the VC on Thursday, BCA exam of fifth paper has been cancelled. The syllabus error led to the cancellation." When questioned about the faculty's failure to identify this syllabus discrepancy, the OSD said, "This is being looked into as to how the faculties of the BCA remained ignorant of the error in syllabus." The OSD indicated that a new exam date would be announced shortly. tnn
