After it first titled about 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, A Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 further submerged Sunday morning, losing more containers into the sea, officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Three crew members who were still onboard were rescued by the Indian Navy ship Sujata under hazardous conditions which have also raised concerns of environmental damage. “The three crew have been recovered by INS Sujata, under dangerous circumstances as some more containers have fallen into water and the vessel is further submerged”, a Defence PRO said on Sunday morning.
In a joint mission by the Indian Navy and coast guard, . Of the crew, the master was from Russia, 20 others from the Philippines, two from Ukraine and one from Georgia. The 184-metre-long vessel – -MSC Elsa 3 – – departed for Kochi from Vizhinjam port on Friday.
As the mission continued to explore methods to assist in towing the vessel, another ship from the parent company reached the area on Sunday as part of the assistance efforts, a Defence PRO said.
A professional assessment is currently underway to determine whether the ship can be towed, he added.
Soon after the incident was reported, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) issued an alert across the state coast about the containers with very low sulfur fuel likely to get washed ashore.
Warning that oil films could appear along parts of the Kerala coast, KSDMA urged people to immediately inform the police if they spot any containers or oil on the shore.
With PTI inputs
