Concerns grow over hazardous cargo from sunken vessel off Kochi

Three days after the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC Elsa 3 sank in the Arabian Sea off the Kochi coast, concerns persist over the fate of the hazardous cargo it was carrying. Authorities are yet to provide a comprehensive explanation regarding the nature and potential risk posed by the materials that went down with the ship.

According to information released by the Indian Coast Guard, the vessel was transporting 643 containers, among which 13 contained hazardous substances and 12 held calcium carbide. However, a detailed clarification from the ship’s owners, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the port authorities, or the customs department remains elusive, deepening public unease.

The New Indian Express reported that while the prompt response from the Coast Guard managed to contain the initial oil spill, questions remain regarding the environmental impact of the sunken hazardous cargo. Experts have suggested that the calcium carbide, under current turbulent sea conditions, is likely to dissolve and pose limited threat within a few nautical miles. Nonetheless, the lack of transparency over the 13 containers with unspecified hazardous materials has left the local fishing community deeply concerned.

“It is now the responsibility of the Director General of Shipping to provide clarity and reassure the fishermen whose livelihoods are at stake,” a senior official from the fisheries department stated.

On Tuesday, 27 May officials from the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) in Kochi held discussions with representatives of MSC and demanded the vessel’s cargo manifest. The captain of the sunken ship has also given his statement.

Senior personnel from the office of the Director General of Shipping arrived in Kochi the same day and are scheduled to meet with state government authorities, as well as top officials from the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, on Wednesday morning.

Salvage operations are ongoing, with MSC working in coordination with T&T Salvage, a firm engaged for the recovery process. As part of efforts to allay fears among the coastal population, Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian is set to meet with fishermen’s organisations in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, 28 May.

Though estimates of the damage caused by the sinking remain speculative, MSC is liable under the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and may be required to pay compensation for environmental harm.

Several fishermen's bodies have already demanded appropriate compensation, citing concerns that hazardous chemicals could severely affect the marine ecosystem and, in turn, their livelihood.

Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard continues its pollution control measures. It confirmed that the oil spill remains limited to patches and has not reached the shoreline. Offshore patrol vessels Aryaman, Saksham, and Vikram, along with two Dornier aircraft, are currently deploying Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) to break the oil into smaller, less harmful droplets.

Samudra Prahari, the Coast Guard’s pollution control vessel, has arrived in Kochi equipped with pollution response resources. A specialised pollution control team from Mumbai is also expected to join the operations on Wednesday.

“As of 17:38 hrs on 27 May, 46 containers have drifted ashore across three coastal districts of Kerala. Based on current weather and drift models, further debris may continue to wash up. However, the proactive efforts to protect the environmentally sensitive coastline have significantly curtailed the spread of oil from the sunken vessel,” the Coast Guard noted in an official release.