Kerala: Cargo ship carrying marine fuel sinks; eye out for oil, chemical spill

The ICG said the ship Saksham, equipped with pollution response equipment, has been positioned at the scene to respond to any oil spill scenario.

Thiruvananthapuram: A high alert has been sounded in the sea off the Kerala coast after the Liberian cargo ship MSC ELSA3 fully sank, and around 100 containers detached from the ship. Oil from the ship also spilled into the sea.

Kerala government officials informed that the ship sank 14.6 nautical miles away from Thottappally spillway in Alappuzha. The Indian Coast Guard is making efforts to remove and destroy the oil floating in the sea.

Efforts are also being made to safely bring the containers to shore using cranes and earth movers, with the help of the Factories and Boilers department. There were around 640 containers on the ship. Apart from the 100-odd containers that fell into the sea, the remaining containers are believed to still be locked in the ship.

A high-level meeting convened by the Kerala government to review the situation evaluated that the containers that fell into the sea are likely to reach the Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kochi coastal areas. The floating oil could spread to any coastal area of the state. Hence, an alert has been sounded across the Kerala coast.

People have been advised not to touch or go near containers or any unfamiliar objects found in the sea or coastal areas, and to maintain at least 200 metres' distance. Fishing within 20 nautical miles of the spot where the ship sank has been banned.

The captain of the ship told the media that technical issues with the ship and rough weather caused the mishap. He also thanked the Indian agencies for their timely help.

The ship, which was moving from Vizhinjam to Kochi, met with the mishap on Saturday afternoon. All 24 crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard and Navy on Saturday. The captain and two engineers remained on the ship for salvage operations, but as the ship continued to sink, they were also shifted to the Kochi coast by Sunday.

According to a statement from the office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Thiruvananthapuram Zone, a total of 643 containers were on board, of which 73 were empty and 13 were carrying hazardous and dangerous goods, including Calcium Carbide; a chemical that reacts violently with water to release highly flammable acetylene gas.