NewsGate Press Network

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.

All 24 crew members were rescued alive by the Coast Guard.

The Liberian vessel was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi Port when it sank in the rough seas.

Within hours of the vessel’s submergence, ICG surveillance aircraft detected an oil slick at the site.

The ICG vessels, Vikram, Saksham and Samarth were deployed in the area in Pollution Response configuration.

These vessels utilised IR cameras to detect the oil spill area and utilised OSD (Oil Spill Desperant) to contain the spread of oil.

An ICG Dornier aircraft equipped with specialised gear has been positioned in Kochi to undertake an aerial assessment of the oil spill situation.

An ICG Dornier aircraft conducted aerial assessments and dispersed Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) across the affected zone.

A total of 643 containers were on board, of which 73 were empty and 13 were carrying hazardous goods, including Calcium Carbide; a chemical that reacts violently with water to release highly flammable acetylene gas.

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 goods on board were non-duty paid at the time of the incident, and any unauthorized removal or pilferage of such goods is illegal, according to the advisory issued by the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Thiruvananthapuram Zone.

Customs Marine and Preventive units have been deployed along the Kerala coast, and surveillance is ongoing in coordination with other agencies.

Instead, anyone sighting such material is requested to immediately inform Customs Authorities at the below given numbers. Public cooperation is vital to ensuring safety and assisting ongoing recovery efforts, it said.

Contact numbers: Custom House, Kochi Control Room: 0484-2666422, Customs (Preventive) Control Room, Kochi: 0484-4569400, and Customs Preventive Unit, Alleppey: 0477-2991132.

The Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, issued a pollution liability warning to the vessel owners M/s MSC under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.

The MSC appointed T&T Salvage for container recovery, oil removal, and environmental clean-up.

The ICG also advised the Kerala state administration to prepare for shoreline clean-up and to alert local communities not to handle any cargo or debris that may wash ashore.