Several containers from the Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC ELSA 3, which sank off the coast of Kochi, began washing ashore at various locations in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

The containers were spotted along the beaches of Anchuthengu, Ayiroor, Varkala, Muthalapozhy, Mampalli, and Idava in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, early Tuesday morning. Most of them appear to be severely damaged.

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Containers that washed ashore in Kollam and Alappuzha districts after the shipwreck will begin to be removed starting this morning. Since these areas are inaccessible to vehicles, including cranes, the containers will be transported by sea to Kollam Port. One container found floating near Thangassery was towed by a fishing boat and brought to the port on Monday.

The MSC ELSA 3, which was carrying 640 containers, sank 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on Sunday morning. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has projected an 80 per cent probability that more containers will continue to wash ashore along the coastlines of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram over the next four days.

Authorities have issued a public advisory warning residents not to approach or touch any containers that wash ashore, as they may contain hazardous materials. While the exact contents have not been officially confirmed, sources suggest that the cargo includes sulphur.