On May 25, 2025, the Liberian container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3 sank off the coast of Kerala, India, resulting in an oil slick. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) immediately initiated a full-scale pollution response, deploying ships and aircraft to assess and mitigate the spill using Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD). The ICG is also managing maritime safety by diverting ships and warning mariners of floating debris. The Mercantile Marine Department issued a pollution liability warning to the vessel owners, MSC, who have appointed TT Salvage for recovery and cleanup operations. The ICG has advised the Kerala state administration to prepare for shoreline cleanup and to warn local communities.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The government ministry responsible for defense matters, overseeing the Indian Coast Guard's response to the oil spill.
Liberian container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3: The container vessel that sank off the Kerala coast, causing the oil slick.
Kerala: The state off whose coast the vessel sank and where shoreline cleanup may be required.
ICG: Indian Coast Guard, the primary agency leading the pollution response operation.
26 MAY 2025: Date of the press release regarding the oil spill.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - the source of the information.
May 25, 2025: Date when the vessel sank.
Alappuzha: A location in Kerala, near where the vessel sank.
ICG Ship Saksham: Indian Coast Guard ship deployed for pollution response.
ICG Dornier: Indian Coast Guard aircraft used for aerial assessments and dispersal of oil spill dispersant.
Oil Spill Dispersant OSD: The chemical agent used to mitigate the oil slick.
Samudra Prahari: Pollution response vessel mobilized with OSD.
Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi: The agency that issued a pollution liability warning to the vessel owners.
Ms MSC: The vessel owners who received a pollution liability warning.
Merchant Shipping Act, 1958: The legal framework under which the pollution liability warning was issued.
TT Salvage: The company appointed by MSC for container recovery, oil removal, and environmental cleanup.
Kerala state administration: The state government advised to prepare for shoreline cleanup.
Offshore Patrol Vessels OPVs: Two vessels remain onsite for monitoring
Ministry of Defence
Oil Slick Detected after Liberian Container Vessel
Sinks off Kerala Coast; ICG Leads Pollution
Response
Posted On: 26 MAY 2025 6:10PM by PIB Delhi
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launched a full-scale pollution response operation following the sinking of the
Liberian container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3, which went down on May 25, 2025, approximately 15 nautical
miles southwest of Alappuzha, Kerala. Within hours of the vessel’s submergence, ICG surveillance aircraft
detected an oil slick at the site. ICG Ship Saksham, already stationed in pollution response configuration, was
deployed immediately. An ICG Dornier aircraft conducted aerial assessments and dispersed Oil Spill
Dispersant (OSD) across the affected zone.
By late morning on May 25, the oil slick was spotted drifting east-southeast from the site of the sinking at a
speed of 1.5 to 2 knots. Rough sea conditions and strong winds made response efforts more challenging.
Despite the hazardous situation, with over 100 cargo containers floating in the area, some breaking apart and
releasing their contents, ICG continued operations with full effect. To ensure safety, all passing ships have
been diverted, and mariners have been warned to navigate cautiously due to floating debris and potential
navigation hazards.
ICG intensified surveillance and spill mitigation efforts using aerial sorties and specialised dispersal
equipment. Two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) remain on-site for round-the-clock monitoring, while
pollution response vessel Samudra Prahari and additional OPVs have been mobilised with large quantities of
OSD.
The Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, issued a pollution liability warning to the vessel owners M/s MSC
under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The MSC appointed T&T Salvage for container recovery, oil
removal, and environmental clean-up. The ICG also advised the Kerala state administration to prepare for
shoreline clean-up and to alert local communities not to handle any cargo or debris that may wash ashore.
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SR/MR/KB
(Release ID: 2131395)