On Sunday, the Polish-built “MSC Elsa 3 ” sank off the Indian coast. The crew was not injured.
The ship was loaded with over 600 containers, some of which contained hazardous goods. It was also carrying more than 450 tons of fuel. Now there is growing concern about environmental damage.
The Liberian-flagged “MSC Elsa 3” was en route from Vizhinjam to the port of Kochi on the south Indian coast when it began to list heavily at 26 degrees in the early hours of Saturday morning. Early Sunday morning, the feeder finally capsized and sank 14.6 nautical miles (approx. 27 km) off the coast. The crew was able to make a distress call, whereupon the Indian Coast Guard launched a rescue operation. On Saturday, 21 of the crew members were rescued, with the remaining three following on Sunday.
Dangerous goods container drifting in the sea
“The weather was rough and there must have been internal problems on the ship,” said Captain Alexander Ivanov. He thanked the navy and the coast guard for the quick rescue and smooth communication.
The sinking of the “MSC Elsa” off the state of Kerala triggered immediate environmental measures. The 184-meter-long feeder was loaded with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous goods and 12 with the environmentally harmful salt calcium carbide. More than 100 containers are said to have fallen into the Arabian Sea off India, a quarter of which are reportedly drifting towards the coast or have already washed ashore.
The authorities confirmed the spill of marine fuels – 367.1 tons of low sulphur fuel (VLSFO) and 84.44 tons of diesel. Although no major spill has been reported so far, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed two ships and a Dornier aircraft to monitor the situation. Dispersants are being used on a large scale to prevent the formation of a carpet
“MSC Elsa 3” built almost 30 years ago
The 28-year-old “MSC Elsa 3” was built in Szczecin, Poland, in 1997 and was last operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The former “Jan Richter” changed its name nine times during its lifetime. In 2016, the ship was involved in a collision off Yemen, and in 2021 in a pirate attack off Nigeria.
Ships in the region have been instructed to avoid the last known position of the sunken ship and to maintain increased vigilance for drifting containers and possible oil slicks. (JW)
