Kollam, May 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala coast was placed on high alert on Monday after nearly a dozen containers from the Liberian-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3, which sank in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, drifted ashore between Cheriyazheekal and Sakthikulangara in Kollam district of the state.
The ship, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi port, capsized approximately 14.6 nautical miles (about 27 km) off the Thottappally coast.
Officials estimate around 100 containers may have fallen into the sea, with more expected to wash ashore due to rough seas and prevailing currents.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued a public warning urging residents to stay away from the containers.
Local police in Kollam and neighbouring Alappuzha districts are closely monitoring the affected coastline.
Alappuzha District Collector Alex Varghese told reporters that some containers have been identified as empty, but authorities are proceeding with caution.
“Experts are arriving to examine the contents. Preliminary assessments suggest several containers may be empty, but the public has been advised to stay away,” he said.
Some containers are marked with labels such as "Sophi Tex," leading locals to speculate that they may contain textile materials. While a few appear to be loaded, others seem empty. Curious onlookers who gathered at the scene were dispersed by police.
Fishermen returning to shore on Monday morning reported seeing additional containers floating further out at sea.
Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been deployed to manage the risk posed by drifting cargo and the potential for an oil spill.
A high-level emergency meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary has directed the Factories and Boilers Department and the Pollution Control Board to lead the RRTs.
District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), the police, and other key agencies have been instructed to provide full support for ongoing emergency operations.
The Kerala government is coordinating with the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, Forest Department, and other concerned agencies as recovery and containment efforts continue.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz