As Vessel Sinks Off India, Race is on to Contain Oil Spill

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala are racing to contain an oil spill in the Arabian Sea after the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA3 sank over the weekend, releasing fuel and more than 100 cargo containers into the water.

The vessel was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi when it capsized approximately 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast on Saturday. All 24 crew members were safely rescued, according to local officials. The cause of the incident has not yet been disclosed.

The Kerala chief minister’s office confirmed Sunday that the entire ship is now submerged. “The Coast Guard is taking steps to block the oil with two ships, while a Dornier aircraft is spraying dispersants to mitigate the slick,” the statement said.

MSC ELSA3 was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, according to the Indian Coast Guard. The contents of the containers lost at sea have not yet been confirmed. Some have already begun washing ashore.

Kerala has issued a high alert across its coastline. Local authorities have warned the public not to touch or approach the drifting containers, and fishermen have been advised to stay off the water. In Kollam district, residents near the coast have been urged to relocate to safer areas as a precaution.

Cyprus-based MSC Shipmanagement, which owns the vessel, has not commented publicly on the incident.

Marine safety experts warn the spill could severely impact Kerala’s fragile coastal ecosystem and threaten the livelihoods of local fishing communities. Comparisons are already being drawn to a 2017 spill near Chennai, where a collision involving a BW LPG tanker and a coastal vessel carrying heavy fuel oil caused significant environmental and economic damage.

Efforts to contain and clean the spill are ongoing as authorities monitor the drifting cargo and assess the potential hazards from the submerged containers.