Authorities in India’s southern Kerala state have issued an alert after a ship carrying oil and unsafe cargo leaked and sank off the state’s coast within the Arabian Sea.
The spill occurred in a Liberian-flagged vessel that capsized close to Kochi metropolis on Sunday. The coastal stretch is wealthy in biodiversity and can be an vital vacationer vacation spot.
All 24 crew members on board the ship have been rescued however among the ship’s 640 containers have reportedly been drifting in direction of the shore, prompting evacuations within the space.
Authorities worry that oil, gas and different dangerous substances which have leaked from the ship and its cargo might endanger the well being of residents and marine life.
“Because the oil slick can attain anyplace alongside the Kerala coast, an alert has been sounded throughout the coastal belt,” an announcement from the chief minister’s workplace mentioned.
Authorities have suggested residents dwelling close to the ocean to not contact any containers or the oil which may wash as much as the shore, whereas fishermen have been requested to keep away from venturing too near the sunken ship.
On Monday, officers mentioned that they had intensified air pollution management measures to include the spill.
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed a ship carrying air pollution management gear to the positioning.
It has additionally despatched one among its plane which has an oil spill detection system to survey the realm.
The vessel – MSC ELSA 3 – which was travelling from Vizhinjam port to Kochi, started to tilt dangerously when it was about 38 nautical miles from the coast of Kochi.
It capsized into the Arabian Sea within the early hours of Sunday attributable to flooding in one among its compartments.
The Indian Coast Guard mentioned that the ship was carrying 13 containers of hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide – a chemical that reacts with seawater to launch a flammable fuel.
“Moreover, [the] ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks,” it mentioned.
The crew members had been rescued by Indian navy personnel after an hours-long operation.