Latest news with #hazardouscargo
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Watch: Cargo ship leaks hazardous material into sea after sinking off Indian coast
Showing now | News 00:23 Watch the moment a containership carrying oil and hazardous cargo sinks off the coast on India. Video footage recorded from the Indian Coast Guard shows a Liberian-flagged vessel slowly descending into the Arabian Sea. All 24 crew members on board were rescued however some of the ship's 640 containers have been spotted floating towards the shore, prompting the state of Kerala in south west India to issue a high alert. Authorities fear that harmful substances from the ship and its cargo could endanger wildlife and people in the area, which is a well-known tourist spot. Residents have been cautioned against touching any cargo that washes up, whilst fishermen have been told not to sail too close to the sunken vessel. Tiny plastic pellets have since been found on beaches in Kerala.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
India races to contain oil spill after cargo ship with hazardous materials sinks off Kerala
BENGALURU (India), May 26 — India's coastguard raced today to contain an oil spill from a container ship with hazardous cargo that sank off the southern coast yesterday, Kerala's state government said. The Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3, listed as a 184-metre (603-foot) freight ship, went down off the coast of Kerala yesterday, with all 24 crew members rescued. It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, a chemical used for fertiliser production and steelmaking. The vessel also contained some 370 tonnes of fuel and oil. 'The Coast Guard is taking action to prevent the spread of oil using two ships,' Kerala's government said in a statement. 'The work of spraying dust to destroy the oil is in progress using a Dornier aircraft'. India's defence ministry said the ship sank 'due to flooding' some 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, raising concerns for the 'sensitive marine ecosystem along Kerala's coast'. The government has put coastal areas on high alert and warned people not to touch or approach any containers — some of which have already washed up along the coast. The ship was sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it ran into trouble on Saturday and issued a distress call. — AFP
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Indian's Kerala state on high alert as vessel with hazardous cargo sinks
India's southern state of Kerala has issued a high alert after a container ship carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 was sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it sank about 38 nautical miles off Kerala on Sunday morning. All 24 crew members were rescued, India's defence ministry said. The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with an unspecified 'hazardous cargo' and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tons of furnace oil in its tanks. The Kerala chief minister's office on Monday urged people to stay away from some of the containers that began washing ashore. It also advised fishermen not to venture too close to the sunken ship. The Indian Coast Guard said it had sent an aircraft with an oil spill detection system to survey the area on Sunday. It also deployed a ship carrying pollution control equipment to the site of the accident.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Ship sinks off India's coast, spilling oil and cargo containers
Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala were scrambling to contain an oil spill on Monday after a container vessel sank, leaking fuel into the Arabian Sea and releasing 100 cargo containers into the water. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA3 ship was travelling from Vizhinjam on India 's southern tip to Kochi when it capsized about 38 nautical miles (70km) off Kerala on Saturday, officials said, adding that all 24 crew members had been rescued. The entire ship has since been 'submerged', the Kerala chief minister's office said in a statement on Sunday without elaborating on the cause of the incident. 'The Coast Guard is taking steps to block the oil with two ships. A Dornier aircraft is also being used to spray oil-destroying powder on the oil slick,' the statement said. Crew members of the Liberian-flagged container ship are seen after being rescued off the Kerala coast on Sunday. Photo: Indian Defence Public Relations Office of Mumbai / AFP The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with 'hazardous cargo' and 12 with calcium carbide, the Indian coastguard said, without disclosing the contents of the containers that fell into the sea.
Arab News
25-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
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.'
