Listing of MSC Elsa 3: Were weather warnings ignored? Lashing failure also a possibility

KOCHI: The reason for the cargo ship's capsize is yet to be revealed. With the onset of monsoon, there was a possibility of a cyclone in the Arabian Sea. It is suspected that the captain ignored the weather warnings.

The route of ships is determined by carefully assessing the weather. It is customary to divert the ship to avoid rough seas. It is necessary to know why the MSC Elsa 3 did not change its route yesterday.

It is unusual for containers to fall from the ship into the sea. After stacking and locking the containers, they are connected to each other and the ship with iron rods. The containers fall into the sea only if they are involved in major accidents after this process known as 'lashing'. This does not usually happen in small eddies. It is the responsibility of the ship's chief officer and deck officers to check and ensure that the lashing is correct. The possibility of lashing errors cannot be ruled out.

Cargo ship became container ship

The Jan Richter, a cargo ship built by the German company E.R. Schiffahrt at the shipyard in Poland and launched in 1997, became the container ship MSC Elsa 3 after nine name changes. It is now a feeder ship used to load containers onto mother ships and deliver them to smaller ports. It is not clear when it became a container ship. It is common for old cargo ships to be converted into feeder container ships. These ships will have their drawbacks. Several ships of the MSC company have been converted in this way.

How did the water get in?

The reason for the list is likely to be water ingress inside the ship. The 26-degree list is serious. Since it is an old ship, the pipes that use seawater to cool the engine parts may leak. If the water that has entered the ship cannot be pumped out in time, it may capsize. Bad weather may have contributed to this.

What next?

The water in the ship must be pumped out. The leak must be plugged. The containers must be transferred to another ship. The ship must be towed to a safe place or to a shipyard. If the ship sinks, the dangerous goods must be removed. If it cannot be raised, this part of the channel must be declared a danger zone. There are salvage companies that can remove and raise the ship. They only need to be paid if the mission is successful. The reward will be a hefty sum. Since Elsa 3 is an old ship, it will not be profitable. Therefore, that possibility is low.

MSC Elsa 3

Owner: Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)

Built: 1997

Flag: Liberian

Homeport: Monrovia

Built: Stosnia Shipyard, Poland