On May 25th 2025, a Liberian-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3, sank off the coast of Kochi, Kerala, with over 600 containers — Indian Coast Guard said that the ship was carrying 13 containers of hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide - a chemical that reacts with seawater to release a flammable gas. Additionally, the ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks. The incident led to an environmental emergency, and the state government banned fishing within a 20-nautical mile radius of the shipwreck. The coastal stretch is rich in biodiversity and is also an important tourist destination.
Now, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, MV Wan Hai 503, is currently on fire and at risk of sinking off the coast of Kerala. As of June 10th 2025, 18 crew members have been rescued, while four remain missing. The ship is listing at 10 to 15 degrees to port, and efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing, with explosions still being reported. This incident comes even before the impact of the previous one, when a cargo ship capsized off the Kochi coast near Vizhinjam on May 25th has subsided.
There are indications that containers onboard carry hazardous and flammable materials such as acid, gunpowder and lithium batteries.
The livelihoods of thousands of poor fisherman across the coast is in danger due to the repeated incidents. Owners of these ships or the owners of the containers aboard, or both must compensate those who have lost lives or their jobs in these incidents.
