NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday said that all 24 crew members of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, which capsized around 38 nautical miles southwest of the Kochi coast, have been rescued.
“The Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 (IMO NO. 9123221) sank off the Kochi coast at around 0750 hours today on May 25, 2025, due to flooding,” an official release issued here said.
“All 24 crew members on board were rescued, 21 by ICG and three by the Indian Navy’s INS Sujata,” it further said.
In view of the fact that the vessel had 640 containers on it, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, and 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, the ICG has activated full pollution response preparedness.
ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill detection systems are conducting aerial surveillance, and ICG ship Saksham, carrying pollution response equipment, remains deployed at the site. So far, no oil spill has been reported, the release added.
The emergency began on May 24, when MSC ELSA 3, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, developed a 26-degree starboard list approximately 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi. The vessel lost stability, prompting a distress call. ICG’s Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Kochi immediately launched a coordinated response, it said, adding that by late evening, 21 of the 24 crew, including nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines, had been rescued.
All crew are now safe, and the ICG is assessing the situation for further action.
Agencies