A container ship carrying hazardous cargo sank off India’s southern state of Kerala in the Arabian Sea early Sunday, prompting a high alert and rescue efforts by the Indian Coast Guard. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 was sailing between Vizhinjam and Kochi when it went down, with all 24 crew members rescued.
The vessel had 640 containers on board, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had significant amounts of diesel and furnace oil. As the ship sank, some of the containers began washing ashore, prompting warnings from authorities to stay away.
Indian authorities have advised fishermen to avoid the area, while a specialized aircraft has been sent to survey the site using an oil spill detection system. A ship carrying pollution control equipment is also on the scene to mitigate potential environmental damage.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-sunken-container-ship-c7dc8c7f25e91ef96873ad05c57a3120