Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan has confirmed the successful removal of bunker oil from the sunken Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa-3, which went down off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025. The vessel, now officially declared a wreck, had over 300 metric tonnes of furnace oil and diesel extracted through a hot tapping operation supervised by the Principal Officer of the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD).
“The major risk of an oil spill has been eliminated,” Jagannathan said, noting that the preliminary environmental threat from 367.1 tonnes of furnace oil and 84.44 tonnes of diesel onboard has been neutralised.
The ship sank approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Alappuzha district after developing a severe list while en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi. It was carrying 643 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials—12 filled with calcium carbide and one with organic chemicals. The presence of calcium carbide posed a danger as it reacts violently with water to release flammable gas.
Following the sinking, nearly 50 containers drifted ashore in Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, prompting the Kerala government to declare the incident a state-specific disaster. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy conducted a coordinated rescue, ensuring all 24 crew members were safely evacuated.
With oil removal complete, attention now turns to the next steps under the Wreck and Salvage Convention: processing compensation claims and initiating physical removal of the wreck. The Fort Kochi Coastal Police have registered an FIR against the ship’s master and crew for navigation errors and environmental negligence. The government, however, is prioritising damage recovery and insurance claims before pursuing legal action to safeguard crucial evidence.
Jagannathan said the salvage effort represents a major milestone in India’s maritime disaster response, highlighting enhanced capability in managing complex underwater operations. The focus will now shift to long-term ecological monitoring and holding the shipping company accountable.