Liberian cargo ship sinks off Kochi coast; pollution alert issued

The Ministry of Defence confirmed on May 25, 2025, the sinking of the Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast due to flooding. The vessel, carrying 640 containers—13 of which contained hazardous materials and 12 filled with calcium carbide—went down around 7:50 a.m., also taking with it over 84 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil.

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All 24 foreign crew members were rescued in a coordinated operation. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) recovered 21 crew members, while three, including the Russian captain and chief engineer, were saved by the Indian Navy’s INS Sujata. The ship had earlier issued a distress call on May 24 after developing a 26-degree tilt roughly 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi while en route from Vizhinjam.

The ICG launched a rapid response through its Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in Kochi, deploying patrol ships and surveillance aircraft. Merchant vessels MV Han Yi and MSC Silver 2 also responded. Although initial efforts were aimed at stabilizing the vessel, worsening conditions overnight led to its eventual capsizing.

Given the vessel's hazardous cargo and large fuel load, the ICG has activated full pollution-response measures. Aircraft equipped with oil-spill detection systems and the pollution-control vessel Saksham remain deployed. As of now, no oil spill has been reported.

An extraordinary alert remains in effect along the Kerala coast, urging the public to avoid any washed-up cargo.