Marine emergency response ship from Puducherry set to reach Kochi shipwreck site soon

Kerala Revenue Minister updates on response to capsized ship MSC Elsa 3, addressing oil spill, container salvage, and environmental threats.

Kerala Revenue Minister K. Rajan has said a marine emergency response ship from Puducherry has set course for the capsized Liberian-flagged container ship, MSC Elsa 3, which sank 38 km southwest off the Kochi coast on May 24.

Mr. Rajan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday (May 29, 2025) that the shipwreck experts on the search and recovery vessel would soon reach the location and use the latest equipment to scan the submerged vessel.

Subsequently, they would devise a plan to drain the very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) stored in the ship’s double hull to prevent further spillage.

The experts would also attempt to salvage the containers using powered hoists, including at least 13 hazardous chemical canisters stowed away in the vessel’s cargo hold.

(The Customs had reported to the government that the ship’s cargo manifest stated that the ship transported calcium carbide, a chemical which causes an exothermic reaction, producing highly flammable calcium hydroxide and acetylene gas when it reacts with water). 

Mr. Rajan said the marine disaster management team had cordoned off the seas near the shipwreck site with floating booms to prevent oil slicks from spreading.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS) has mapped areas where weathered pieces of oil from a ship, known as “tar balls or petroleum blobs”, could wash up along Kerala’s coastline.