A high alert has been issued along Kerala’s coast after containers from the vessel that sank on May 25 morning began washing ashore and the authorities have warned of the possibility of oil leak from the sunken ship.
Officials have urged the public to stay away from the containers, warning that the ship had 13 hazardous cargos among its 640 containers. Some containers were carrying dangerous substances such as calcium carbide, a chemical that reacts with seawater to release highly flammable acetylene gas.
According to Kerala's coastal police, several containers have been found along the shores of Kollam and Alappuzha districts.
The Liberian-flagged container ship, MSC ELSA 3, sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday morning, setting off a full-scale marine emergency and raising concerns over hazardous cargo, oil spill risks, and the financial strain of recovery efforts.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the vessel went down roughly 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, due to “flooding” inside one of its cargo holds. The ship, with IMO number 9123221, was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi when it lost stability the previous day and tilted 26 degrees—prompting a distress call. The vessel's length overall (LOA) is 183.91 metres and her width is 25.3 metres.
All 24 foreign crew members, including nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines, were rescued. While 21 were picked up by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), three—including the captain (a Russian national) and chief engineer—were brought to safety by Indian Navy ship INS Sujata, after staying onboard overnight in an attempt to manage the crisis.
When the MSC ELSA 3 sank, it was carrying 640 containers—13 of which reportedly contained hazardous materials. Another 12 carried calcium carbide, a chemical that reacts violently with water and produces flammable acetylene gas. The vessel also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil onboard. So far, no visible oil leak has been reported, but surveillance is ongoing.
A Coast Guard aircraft equipped with oil-spill detection systems has been flying over the site, while ICG ship Saksham, which carries pollution-response gear, remains stationed at the spot. But it’s a race against time to prevent potential ecological damage, given Kerala’s sensitive marine belt.
The unfolding emergency began on May 24, when the vessel began tilting dangerously. A distress alert was sent to the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Kochi, which launched a coordinated operation. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft spotted two life rafts, and merchant vessels MV Han Yi and MSC Silver 2 were diverted to help. Most crew were evacuated by Saturday evening, but the ship’s condition worsened overnight and finally went under on Sunday morning.
Authorities still don’t know what caused the tilt, but the risk factors—including the mix of hazardous cargo and fuel—have prompted an ongoing assessment.
With some containers reportedly slipping into the sea during the incident, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) issued an alert on May 24 evening, warning people not to approach or handle any cargo that may wash up on the shore. Coastal districts including Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram are on high alert.
Fishing activity within a 20-nautical-mile radius has been suspended as a precaution.
While rescue efforts are largely being led by defence agencies, the clean-up and recovery will likely be a costly affair. Maritime experts say multiple layers of insurance are involved here:
The vessel itself is typically covered under Hull and Machinery (H&M) insurance.
Damage to third parties, including environmental fallout from oil spills or hazardous cargo leaks, comes under Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance.
The cargo—each individual container—is usually insured by the shipper or cargo owner.
Salvage operations, if undertaken, could cost crores. To put it into perspective, the salvage of the Costa Concordia off Italy cost an estimated $799 million (roughly ₹6,600 crore), with total expenses exceeding $2 billion.
Whether MSC ELSA 3 will be retrieved depends on several factors—its depth, impact on navigation routes, and potential pollution risks. For now, the sunken vessel is not obstructing major traffic lanes, which might delay or reduce the urgency of salvage.
Though the immediate rescue operation has ended with all crew members safe, the real challenges may just be beginning. The environmental monitoring continues. Financial negotiations—over salvage, insurance claims, and liability—are expected to follow.