MSC Elsa 3 followed by Wan Hai 503: Mystery in ship accidents? Foul play to give bad reputation to Vizhinjam port?

KOCHI: There is a lot of discussion on social media about the mysterious nature of two container ship accidents that have occurred off the Kerala coast in a matter of days. Comments are pouring in, including on the social media accounts of the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy.

The Kerala coast witnessed two unusual ship accidents. On May 24, the Mediterranean Shipping Company's MSC Elsa 3, which left Vizhinjam with 643 containers, capsized. First, the containers fell into the sea and the ship sank the next day. The explosion on the Taiwanese ship Wan Hai 503, which caught fire in the deep sea off Beypore on Monday, is also mysterious. The burning of Wan Hai 503 happening on the same day as the arrival of the world's largest container ship at Vizhinjam port is also mysterious.

Is the intention to give Vizhinjam a bad name? What do discussions point to?

• An attempt to give Vizhinjam a bad name in the context of the continuous arrival of motherships at the Vizhinjam port, which was inaugurated on May 2.

• The old ship MSC Elsa 3 tilted and sank, which is suspicious.

• Containers falling into the sea is unusual

• No case is being filed against the ship owners, Mediterranean Shipping Company

• The container explosion on Monday in Van Hai 503 is extremely rare. Container ships do not burn

• Although dangerous goods may be in the containers, strict precautions are the norm.

• It is also suspicious that both of the accidents were container ships.

• If Vizhinjam grows, it will threaten many foreign ports, as it is adjacent to the international shipping channel.