Indian agencies detected an oil spill from a container ship that capsized off the coast of the southern state of Kerala early Sunday, triggering efforts to contain the environmental damage, the defense ministry said in a statement a day after the incident.
The spill was spotted drifting east and southeast by late Sunday morning, according to the statement. An Indian Coast Guard aircraft conducted an aerial assessment and dispersed oil spill chemicals across the affected zone. Additional patrol vehicles to spread the anti-spill agents have been mobilized, the ministry said.
Rough sea conditions and strong winds complicated the response effort, with more than 100 containers floating in the sea, some of them broken, the defense ministry said. The Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3 was carrying hazardous cargo in 13 containers, calcium carbide in 12, and hundreds of tons of fuel in its tanks, the Indian coast guard said in a statement Sunday, adding that all 24 members of the crew have been rescued. The crew included one Russian, two Ukrainian, one Georgian and 20 Filipino nationals, the organization said.
The Mercantile Marine Department has issued a liability warning to the vessel owner, MSC Group, for oil pollution damage and the shipping agency has appointed T&T Salvage for container recovery, oil removal and and environmental clean-up, the ministry said.
The Directorate General of Shipping is monitoring and holding meetings with concerned agencies, including the coast guard, the Indian Navy, as well as disaster response teams of the federal and Kerala government, shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in Mumbai. The state is known for its rich biodiversity, which makes it one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.
The vessel, which was carrying 84 tons of diesel and 367 tons of furnace oil, sank due to ‘flooding,’ the coast guard said.
Kerala declared a state-wide emergency Sunday, warning coastal districts of potential environmental damage, the Times of India reported. It asked the public and fisherfolk to stay ashore.
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