Kerala government declares Liberian ship capsize a disaster

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday declared the wreckage of a cargo ship flying the Liberian flag off the state's coast a state-specific disaster.

The vessel, MSC ELSA-3, carrying more than 643 containers, including hazardous cargo, sank about 14.6 nautical miles from the coast near Thottappalli in Alappuzha district on May 25, raising environmental concerns.

In an official order, the state government said the maritime incident has raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for oil spills and drifting debris, such as cargo, along Kerala's coastline.

"Considering the potentially serious environmental, social, and economic impact of the ship wreckage, Government hereby declare the wreckage of ship M/s ELSA 3 in the Arabian sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast as a State-Specific disaster," the order said.