The sinking of a cargo ship near Kerala coast on May 25 has raised environmental concerns due to its oil and chemical spill.
On May 25, Liberian cargo ship MSC ELSA 3, carrying 643 containers—including 13 with hazardous materials—capsized 14.6 nautical miles from Thottappally harbour in Alappuzha, Kerala. The vessel released substantial quantities of diesel and oil into the Arabian Sea, along with hazardous chemicals like calcium carbide. All crew members were safely rescued.
“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.
How Did The Ship Sink?
According to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the MSC ELSA 3 vessel capsized rapidly in the early hours of Sunday “due to flooding in one of the holds”. A hold is a section below deck where the cargo is stored.
“The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. Additionally, the ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks,” the ICG said in a post on X.
The MSC ELSA 3 was a 184-meter-long container ship built in 1997 and operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). It had a crew of 24, comprising one Russian (the captain), 20 Filipinos, two Ukrainians, and one Georgian.
What Is An Oil Spill?
An oil spill is an accidental release of petroleum products such as crude oil, diesel, or fuel oil into the environment, typically water bodies such as oceans, rivers or coastal areas.
Oil spills often happen due to ship accidents, offshore drilling, pipeline leaks or illegal dumping or operational discharges from vessels.
When oil spills into water, it rapidly spreads. Due to lighter density, it forms a layer over water, obstructing sunlight and disruption photosynthesis in marine plants.
