Liberian vessel carrying marine fuel lists off Kerala coast spills cargo into sea

    Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi, May 24 (PTI) A Liberian container vessel carrying marine fuel listed several degrees, 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast on Saturday afternoon, causing its cargo to spill into the sea.
    The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) cautioned the general public against touching the cargo containers or oil spill if they wash ashore.
    They also asked people to immediately inform the police if they see container or oil spill on the shore.
    According to a Defence release, the 184 metre long vessel -- MSC Elsa 3 -- departed for Kochi from the Vizhinjam port on Friday and at around 1.25 pm on May 24, the company owning the ship informed Indian authorities that it was listing by 26 degrees and sought urgent assistance.
    It said that the Coast Guard was coordinating rescue operations by maintaining ships and aircrafts near the distressed vessel and of the 24 crew onboard, nine were in liferafts.
    Operations are underway to rescue the remaining 15 crewmembers, it said.
    "Indian Coast Guard aircrafts (Dornier) have dropped additional liferafts near the vessel to facilitate further evacuation. DG Shipping, in coordination with Indian Coast Guard, has issued directives to the ship managers for providing urgent salvage services for the vessel," the release said.
    It also said that medical assistance was being provided to the crew members who were taken aboard one of the Coast Guard vessels which took part in the rescue operation.
    The 24-member crew of the vessel comprised one Russian, the Master, 20 Fliipinos, two Ukrainians and one person from Georgia, the release said.
    Earlier, KSDMA member secretary Sekhar Kuriakose, in a voice note shared with reporters, said that the information about the dangerous cargo falling into the sea was received from the coast guard.
    "There is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore. The public, if they see such cargo, should not go near it or touch it and should inform the police immediately," he said.
    He also said that there was a possibility of oil films appearing along the coast in some areas.
    Kuriakose also said that the coast guard has confirmed that the vessel was carrying Marine gasoil (MGO) and Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)