Capsizing of MSC Elsa 3; all 24 crew members safe; alert issued on Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram coasts

KOCHI: All 24 crew members on board the ship that capsized in the Arabian Sea 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi are safe. All the crew members are foreigners. The ship involved in the accident was MSC Elsa 3, which was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi. A Navy Dornier helicopter was also present for the rescue operation.

The ship was supposed to reach Kochi at 10 pm tonight from Vizhinjam and then go to Thoothukudi. The ship is currently lying in the sea near the Kerala coast. It is reported that the containers on the capsized ship contained marine gas oil and very low sulfur fuel.

Nine containers have reportedly fallen into the sea. Following this, an alert has been issued in the coastal areas. The Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert for the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram coasts also. Earlier, an alert was issued for the Thrissur-Kochi-Alappuzha coasts. The Disaster Management Authority has warned the public not to touch the containers if they hit the coast.

There is also an instruction not to go near the cargo. The Disaster Management Authority issued the warning after the Coast Guard provided information. If anyone sees the containers on the coast, they should inform the police or call 112. Authorities state that strict vigilance should be maintained on the coast.