MSC ELSA 3

scrapped

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Fire in washed up container

A fire broke out from a container that was washed ashore at Sakthikulangara on the suburbs of Kollam on the afternoon of May 29 and has triggered panic in Kollam. The foam material in the container caught fire while it was being cut using electric cutters. Electric sparks from the cutter were suspected to have caused the fire. Thick dark smoke emanated. Nearby fire fighters quickly put out the flames. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has declared the wreckage of the ship in the Arabian sea as a state specific disaster. The move is aimed at intensifying the steps to address environmental impacts proposed by the wreckage. State disaster management funds could be used for the relief works. Around 50 containers already washed ashore, Te containers that were said to be containing hazardous cargo and calcium carbide were yet to be traced and have probably sunk. Volunteers were engaged to remove the plastic pellets that were washed ashore mostly in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram. While a conclusive report on the reason for the accident was yet to come, preliminary assumption was that defects in the ballast system that maintains in the ship's balance led to the sinking. The Kerala government will file compensation claims for the damages caused to the state by the accident.

More containers washed ashore

More containers from the 'MSC Elsa 3' have washed ashore. On the morning of May 27, containers were found along the coasts of Varkala, Anchuthengu, Ayroor, and Edava in Thiruvananthapuram district. Parcels from the containers were also floating ashore in Anchuthengu, Mampally, and Muthalapozhi. The ship had drifted close to the Manthara temple in Varkala and many of the containers that washed ashore are in a damaged condition, with sacks scattered across the coastline. Efforts to remove the containers that washed up in Kollam and Alappuzha districts were set to begin on May 27. However, due to the inaccessibility of the area to land vehicles, including cranes, the containers will likely be transported to Kollam port by sea. As of May 28, 34 containers had been reported stranded along the coast. Authorities are maintaining high vigilance across coastal areas amid fears that more containers may continue to wash ashore. One container found floating near Thankassery in Kollam was towed to port by a fishing boat. Agencies had earlier warned that the sunken ship was carrying 12 containers with around 250 tons of calcium carbide, a substance that could pose an explosion risk. An aerial survey conducted by the Coast Guard revealed that over 100 containers had fallen into the sea before the ship sank and were seen floating in the sea.

50 containers meanwhile washed ashore

All sunken containers from the 'MSC Elsa 3' will be retrieved, and all floating containers will be brought ashore, accodding to the The Director General of Shipping, . Currently, 108 personnel from the salvage company T&T Salvage were working to contain the fuel leak and recover the containers. The Indian Coast Guard continued monitoring and managing the oil slick. A total of 50 containers have washed ashore as of May 27. The salvage operation was expected to be completed by July 3. The ship carried 13 hazardous containers, 12 of which held calcium carbide. Five of these 13 containers have fallen into the sea and haven't reached the shore yet. Scanning was underway to determine if they have sunk to the seabed. The calcium carbide was stored in the ship's cargo holds, which is why it sank with the vessel. The 13th container held rubber chemicals. A preliminary assessment suggested a failure in the balance management system might have caused the accident, possibly due to a technical malfunction. Investigations will examine the ship's balance mechanism, including the possibility of a valve failure. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was tasked with providing protocols for handling debris washing ashore as part of the Chief Minister's emergency directives. Volunteer forces, supervised by the Fire and Rescue Department, have also been organized for efficient waste management.