(Image: Special Arrangement)
Kollam/Alappuzha: Early on Monday (May 26), containers from the from the Liberia-flagged cargo ship, MSC ELSA 3, which sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday (May 25), washed ashore in the coastal regions of Alappuzha and Kollam districts.
As per latest reports, more than 35 containers are on the shore now. There were a total of 640 containers, among them, 73 were empty. Of the remaining, 13 carry hazardous cargo, including 12 that contained calcium carbide—a chemical that reacts violently with seawater to produce highly flammable acetylene gas.
Also Read | Diesel, Furnace Oil, Calcium Carbide Leak Feared As Cargo Ship MSC ELSA 3 Goes Down Off Kerala Coast
According to Customs officials, many empty containers were found. Many containers that reached shore early were empty and had been loaded with cotton. These have been moved to Kollam port’s yard. So far, no information has been obtained regarding the situation of containers containing calcium carbide or where they had landed.
The MSC ELSA 3 was reportedly caught in a storm, which led to water entering the ship. The ocean current is towards the south. Consequently, there is not much debris on the north side
of Kochi.
On Saturday, the 184-meter vessel, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company, capsized off Kochi harbour. The cargo ship, travelling from Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi before heading to Thoothukudi, encountered severe conditions that caused it to tilt and begin listing. Although the vessel was scheduled to dock in Kochi by 10pm, it remains adrift and inclined dangerously close to the Kerala coastline.
Also Read | Containers From Ship Sunk Off Kochi Coast Wash Ashore In Alappuzha, Kollam
By Saturday evening, 21 crew members—comprising one Russian, two Ukrainians, one Georgian, and 20 Filipinos—were safely evacuated, with nine rescued by MV Han Yi and 12 by ICG ship Arnvesh. The captain, chief engineer, and second engineer remained on board to assist with salvage efforts but were forced to abandon ship as it capsized and sank at 07:50 on Sunday. These three were rescued by the Indian Navy’s INS Sujata.
