At least eight containers from the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3, which sank off the Kochi coast, washed ashore near the Kollam coast by Monday morning.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, estimates a probablity of 80 per cent containers that have fallen into the sea to wash ashore in the coastal regions of Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. It has been learnt that ship debris may wash ashore in these areas within the next 96 hours.
Reports are suggesting that Kerala is dealing with a major oil spill incident without a contingency plan. The cargo ship was loaded with metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil. It had 640 containers, including 73 empty ones. Out of 640, 13 had hazardous cargo and 12 contained calcium carbide.
Also read: ICG saves 24 lives after Liberian ship sinks off Kerala coast
Authorities are working to manage the situation, they said. Police have been deployed in all affected areas. They have urged the public to stay away from the containers. The district administration has also asked people living in the nearby areas to vacate their houses.
The cargo ship capsized and sank early Sunday, which sparked a statewide alert of oil spill as some containers were carrying dangerous substances such as calcium carbide, a chemical that reacts with seawater to release highly flammable acetylene gas, officials said.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is leading pollution response efforts and monitoring the spread of the oil slick.
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