Over 100 containers were spotted floating in sea on Monday after the Liberian-flagged container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 15 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, southwest of Alappuzha, on Sunday.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) released aerial visuals of the site, showing numerous containers and a visible spill spread across the water. The spill is estimated to have covered an area of 2×1 nautical miles, with some containers reportedly breaking apart and their contents dispersing into nearby waters.
ICG Ship Saksham, already on standby in Pollution Response (PR) mode, was deployed to carry out counter-pollution efforts, while an ICG Dornier aircraft was flown over the area for aerial assessment and to spray Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD).
Maritime advisories have been issued, warning vessels in the region to stay alert and navigate cautiously due to floating debris and potential hazards.
The vessel, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, capsized roughly 38 nautical miles from the shore before sinking with its cargo. According to officials, the ship was carrying 643 containers, including 73 empty ones and 13 with hazardous materials, among them calcium carbide — a chemical known to react dangerously with water, releasing highly flammable acetylene gas.
What we know about the spill contents
According to Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) Chairperson Sreekala S, no containers carrying calcium carbide have washed ashore so far, and only a thin oil sheen has been detected following the sinking of a Liberian-flagged vessel off the Kerala coast.
After a high-level meeting and the submission of a status report to the state government, Sreekala told PTI that rough sea conditions had prevented dispersants from being sprayed by ships, prompting authorities to use aircraft instead.
“The waves are four to five metres high, and ships cannot spray the dispersants. If we come across thickened oil, we use jute sacks filled with sawdust to absorb it,” she said.
She explained that if oil reaches the coast, beach cleaning efforts will be launched in coordination with the Pollution Control Board and local administration.
“The oil-contaminated sand will need to be scooped out and sent to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited, a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility located at Ambalamugal, Kochi. We have contacted them, and they are ready with equipment and trucks to transport the sand,” she said.
So far, she confirmed, no oil presence has been detected in Kollam or Alappuzha, where some containers have washed ashore.
“We have collected water samples from all these areas,” she said.
Sreekala also said concerns about calcium carbide reacting with seawater are, for now, unfounded.
“We have no reports of any containers carrying calcium carbide reaching the shores,” she said.
In the event such a container does reach land, several agencies including the Fire Force, Chemical Explosives Department, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, and the Department of Factories and Boilers are prepared to respond.
“They have a protocol in place for that. Scientifically, if calcium carbide mixes with water, it can produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. Acetylene is a highly inflammable gas when it comes into contact with water. It cannot be extinguished with water—dust or clay powder is used to douse such fires,” she said, adding that all precautions are in place should such a scenario arise.
To prevent the oil slick from reaching Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes, the KPCB is set to send a request to the Coast Guard via the State Disaster Management Authority for deploying boomers at key locations.
“The letter is ready, requesting the Coast Guard to place boomers at Thottappally Spillway to prevent the spread to Vembanad, and at Neendakara to prevent the spread to Ashtamudi Lake. If the Coast Guard does not have the required number, we will have to source them from elsewhere,” she said.
The KPCB has been on high alert since the evening of May 24, she said, and field officers have been deployed to monitor the coastline from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
“Then we were informed that the containers were moving towards the southern direction, and our officials were sent to Kollam and Alappuzha. They are coordinating with other agencies,” she added.
Recovery and handling of the sunken containers will be overseen by the Directorate General of Shipping and other authorities. The high-level meeting was held to assess all possible scenarios, Sreekala said.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)