Containers from capsized Liberian ship wash ashore on Thiruvananthapuram coast in Kerala

Containers from capsized cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 wash ashore in Kerala, posing hazardous chemical threat, prompting fishing ban.

Several containers and cargo parcels from the capsized Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC Elsa 3, washed ashore at Anchuthengu, Ayiroor, Varkala, Muthalapozhy, Mampalli and Idava beaches in Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala early Tuesday. 

The local administration has deployed police personnel to ensure that nobody tampers with the containers, which may contain hazardous chemicals or inflammable material.

The Customs department had notified the government that the vessel stacked 643 transhipment containers on the main deck.

The cargo hold contained 13 containers transporting calcium carbide. The hazardous chemical causes an exothermic reaction, producing highly flammable calcium hydroxide and acetylene gas when it reacts with water.  

The flotsam from the shipwreck also included blue-coloured parcels, possibly containing chemical dyes and other raw materials used in textile manufacturing. 

Member Secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, KSDMA, Shekhar Kuriakose, had warned people to maintain a minimum distance of 200 m from the shipwreck detritus. 

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS) has informed the government that more containers will likely run ashore along Kerala’s coastline.