ANI
29 May 2025

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 29 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday declared the sinking of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 off Kochi as a State Special Disaster.

The vessel sank on May 24, prompting concerns about environmental damage and potential impact on coastal communities.

Vijayan emphasised that the state's priority is safeguarding the environment and protecting people's livelihoods in coastal areas. The government is taking immediate action to mitigate the disaster's effects and ensure the ecosystem's safety.

Speaking on Thursday, CM Vijayan said, ' We are declaring this incident a State Special Disaster. Our priority is to safeguard our environment and protect the livelihoods of our coastal communities'

'The vessel was carrying 643 containers--73 were empty, 13 contained calcium carbide, 46 housed plastic pellets (hydrocarbon-based materials), and one held rubber. Nearly 100 containers are believed to have fallen into the sea. An emergency meeting was held immediately to assess the situation. Experts were consulted on containment and cleanup strategies,' he said further.

Declaring a State Special Disaster will enable the government to mobilise resources and take swift action to respond to the situation. The authorities are working to assess the damage and implement measures to prevent further environmental harm.

'Currently, 54 containers have washed ashore along the coastlines of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The state has already initiated cleaning operations to protect our fragile coastal ecosystem. This is a shared responsibility, and we must all act together,' said the CM further.

'Volunteers from the Police, Civil Defence, and other local organisations have been deployed in affected areas. Drone surveys of the coastline have been completed. The state has formally requested MSC to remove the sunken vessel from our coastal waters and compensate for the environmental impact, economic losses to tourism, and disruption of livelihoods,' CM mentioned further.

Earlier, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launched a full-scale pollution response operation following the sinking of the Liberian container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3, which went down on May 25, 2025, approximately 15 nautical miles southwest of Alappuzha, Kerala.

Within hours of the vessel's submergence, ICG surveillance aircraft detected an oil slick at the site. ICG Ship Saksham, already stationed in a pollution response configuration, was deployed immediately.

An ICG Dornier aircraft conducted aerial assessments and dispersed Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) across the affected zone. By late morning on May 25, the oil slick was spotted drifting east-southeast from the site of the sinking at a speed of 1.5 to 2 knots. Rough sea conditions and strong winds made response efforts more challenging. Despite the hazardous situation, with over 100 cargo containers floating in the area, some breaking apart and releasing their contents, ICG continued operations with full effect.

To ensure safety, all passing ships have been diverted, and mariners have been warned to navigate cautiously due to floating debris and potential navigation hazards.

All 24 crew members of the Liberian-flagged container Vessel MSC ELSA 3 were rescued safely, by ships of the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. Additionally, ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks. (ANI)