The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil.
The container vessel MSC Elsa3 that had reported listing around 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast sank into the depths of the Arabian Sea on Sunday morning.
The Ministry of Defence on Sunday noon officially confirmed the sinking of Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 off the Kochi coast earlier in the day, ‘due to flooding’.
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The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil.
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The ship is reported to have capsized due to extremely rough seas following the onset of the southwest monsoon
The vessel that was transporting containers with hazardous cargo had listed approximately 26 degrees to the starboard side by Saturday afternoon. The incident was reported to the Indian Coast Guard at 1.25 PM, following which three ships – INS Sujata of the Indian Navy, ICGS Arnvesh, and ICGS Saksham – were deployed to assist in salvage operations.
There were 24 crew members aboard the vessel. Of these, 21 were rescued by the Navy and Coast Guard on Saturday evening. As the vessel began sinking, the Navy rescued the remaining three – the captain, chief engineer, and second engineer – on Sunday morning.
The 21 crew members rescued earlier have been shifted to the Coast Guard headquarters in Kochi, while the captain and two engineers are being taken to the Kochi Naval Base.
Sources said the vessel was carrying 148 containers, some of which may drift toward the Kerala coast due to the influence of the monsoon currents. The containers are believed to contain marine gasoline and very low sulfur fuel.
Reports say more containers fell into the sea during the early hours of the day. These containers are drifting at a speed of approximately one kilometre per hour and are expected to reach the Kerala coast, particularly between Alappuzha and Ernakulam, within two 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 there is no official confirmation of the exact contents, sources indicate that the cargo includes sulphur.
While the listing of a Liberian container vessel 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast poses a danger to other ships and fishing boats near the international shipping channel, experts point out that a possible bunker spill could threaten the marine ecosystem in the entire Alappuzha region
The Kerala government swung into action following the sinking of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, deploying Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to tackle the threat of drifting cargo containers and a potential coastal oil spill.
In a high-level meeting chaired by the chief secretary, the Factories and Boilers Department and the Pollution Control Board have been directed to constitute the RRTs.District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), police, and other agencies will extend all necessary support for emergency operations and public safety
Shekhar Kuriakose, Member Secretary, Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday that Containers containing hazardous fuel that fell into the sea after the cargo ship MSC Elsa-3 capsized in the Arabian Sea near the Kochi coast are likely to reach the coast on Sunday afternoon. “The containers are most likely to reach the Kochi, Alappuzha coast on Sunday afternoon, those in coastal areas should be vigilant. The residents in coastal areas do not approach or touch any containers that wash ashore, as they may contain hazardous materials,” he said .The public is advised to call 112 if they notice objects floating towards the coast.
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