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Kerala declares MSC ELSA3 wreck a state-specific disaster as cleanup and salvage efforts intensify

Kerala’s disaster declaration unlocks additional assets for oil recovery, hazardous materials response, shoreline cleanup

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More containers from sunken ship wash ashore in Kerala, chemical spill feared
Vipin Das Thottampurayidam
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Overview

  • MSC ELSA3 capsized 14.5 nautical miles off Kochi on May 25 carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 451 tonnes of fuel.
  • At least 54 containers have drifted ashore in Kollam, Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram, depositing plastic pellets, chemicals and calcium carbide debris.
  • Specialized vessels, Coast Guard aircraft and 146 personnel are engaged in oil recovery operations under the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, targeting completion by July 3.
  • A marine emergency response ship from Puducherry is en route to conduct sonar surveys, drain remaining very low sulfur fuel oil and deploy powered hoists to salvage submerged containers.
  • Fishing has been banned within a 20-nautical-mile radius and the Kerala government is consulting legal experts on potential action against Mediterranean Shipping Company for environmental and economic damages.