Ship sinks off India’s coast, spilling oil and cargo containers

The vessel capsized off southern Kerala state, leaking fuel and releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea

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A Liberian-flagged container ship with hazardous cargo on board is seen sinking off India’s southern coast of Kerala on Sunday. Photo: Indian Defence Public Relations Office of Mumbai / AFP

Published: 2:11pm, 26 May 2025Updated: 4:43pm, 26 May 2025

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala were scrambling to contain an oil spill on Monday after a container vessel sank, leaking fuel into the Arabian Sea and releasing 100 cargo containers into the water.

The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA3 ship was travelling from Vizhinjam on India’s southern tip to Kochi when it capsized about 38 nautical miles (70km) off Kerala on Saturday, officials said, adding that all 24 crew members had been rescued.

The crew included one Russian, two Ukrainian, one Georgian and 20 Philippines nationals.

The entire ship has since been “submerged”, the Kerala chief minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday, without elaborating on the cause of the incident.

“The Coast Guard is taking steps to block the oil with two ships. A Dornier aircraft is also being used to spray oil-destroying powder on the oil slick,” the statement said.

Crew members of the Liberian-flagged container ship are seen after being rescued off the Kerala coast on Sunday. Photo: Indian Defence Public Relations Office of Mumbai / AFP

The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with “hazardous cargo” and 12 with calcium carbide, the Indian coastguard said, without disclosing the contents of the containers that fell into the sea.

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