Archive · 13 Jun 2025
Sunken Ship: Oil Tanks Plugged, Cleanup and Investigation Continue
The ship that sank off the Kerala coast has had its oil tanks sealed to prevent leaks.
Removing the oil is going to take about a month, weather permitting.
They're also still trying to find the ship's black box, and are cleaning up the mess on the shore.
Police are investigating what caused the ship to sink in the first place.
DGS reported all oil tanks on the sunken MSC Elsa 3 have been plugged with no current leakage.
Salvage operations, including hot tapping and oil extraction, are expected to take around 24 days.
Efforts to recover the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) are ongoing, with diving operations continuing.
Shoreline cleanup continues, with a beach-cleaning vacuum unit and increased volunteer deployment.
Kerala Police registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew.
- Who
- Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Salvors, Kerala Police, and International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF).
- What
- DGS reported all oil tanks plugged, no oil leakage; salvage and cleanup efforts continue.
- When
- Report issued Friday, June 13; ship sank approximately May 24-25.
- Where
- Off the Kerala coast near Alappuzha district.
- Why
- To mitigate environmental damage and recover the remaining fuel oil from the vessel.
Environmental Concerns
Mitigation Efforts
Oil Spill Impact
Environmental Concerns
Environmentalists are concerned about the potential for further oil spills and the damage to marine life.
Mitigation Efforts
Authorities are taking steps to contain and remove the remaining oil, and clean the shoreline.
- Ship Name
- MSC Elsa 3
- Flag
- Liberian
- Location
- Off the Kerala coast near Alappuzha district
- Cargo
- 640 containers, including hazardous and explosive materials
- Oil onboard
- 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil
- Case Filed
- Rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew
Sources
Ship wreck: Kerala HC detains another MSC vessel on raw cashew importers’ plea
Ship mishaps off Kerala coast: Why spend public money on salvage, clean up, asks HC
Kerala HC asks Vizhinjam port authorities to detain MSC Manasa until dues paid
Kerala HC orders arrest of sister ship to recover cargo loss due to sunken ship