Authorities in India’s southern Kerala state issued a high alert on Monday after a cargo ship carrying dangerous materials sank off its coast in the Arabian Sea. Fishermen have been advised to avoid the accident area.
The Liberia-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3 was en route between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it sank early Sunday, about 38 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast. All 24 crew members were rescued, according to India’s Ministry of Defence.
The sunken ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with unspecified hazardous materials and 12 loaded with calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tons of diesel and 367.1 metric tons of furnace oil in its tanks.
Kerala’s Chief Minister’s Office has warned residents to stay away from any containers washing ashore and urged fishermen not to go near the site of the wreck.
On Sunday, the Indian Coast Guard dispatched an aircraft equipped with an oil spill detection system and deployed a pollution control vessel to the scene.