Kochi: A Liberian-flagged container vessel, MSC ELSA 3, which had started tilting 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on Saturday, has now completely capsized, reports claimed. This has triggered the risk of spilling oil, officials said Sunday. All 24 crew members have been rescued, the Indian Express reported. The Kerala government has issued an alert along its coastline.
Preliminary reports suggest that around 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr V Venu reviewed the current situation and ongoing response measures.
Fuel from the ship has leaked into the sea and is currently drifting at a speed of 3 km per hour, officials said.
According to the Cost Guard, the vessel was carrying “hazardous cargo” and calcium carbide. Coast Guard inspector general (Western region) Bhisham Sharma told Hindustan Times that they thought the ship would stablise but water ingress sank it. He added that containers from the ship were floating around and could cause great danger to other ships. “These containers can come ashore,” Sharma told HT. According to reports, the Kerala chief secretary was convening a meeting to assess the danger of the containers.
MSC Elsa 3’s parent company had informed Indian authorities that it was tilting by 26 degrees. It had sought urgent assistance hours after the 184-metre ship departed for Kochi from Vizhinjam port on Friday.
The Coast Guard had coordinated rescue operations by maintaining ships and aircraft near the distressed vessel. According to the statement issued by the Coast Guard, the vessel had 640 containers onboard including 13 hazardous cargoes. The ship’s tanks had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel, reports claimed.
“The Coast Guard has geared up pollution response preparedness and coordination with the state administration for all possible scenarios,” the Coast Guard mentioned in a statement. It added that aircraft with advanced oil spill mapping technology were assessing the situation.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has warned the public against touching cargo containers or oil spills, asking them to immediately inform police if they spot them. KSDMA said there is a possibility that cargo, including containers and oil, may wash ashore. Oil films could appear along parts of the coast.
