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The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Watch: How Indian Coast Guard averted a major tragedy after two shipping accidents
Two shipping accidents off the coast of Kerala a fortnight apart, on May 24 and June 9, posed multiple challenges for India's maritime agencies. The Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 sank off the Kochi coast after the Indian Coast Guard rescued all its crew members. After the DG Shipping issued an ultimatum to the shipping company and the salvors, capping operations have been done to ensure that there's no oil spillage. Meanwhile, a multiagency effort led by the Disaster Management Authorities is under way to collect and safely dispose of nurdles that washed ashore following the ship's sinking. MV Wan Hai 503 reported an explosion onboard and caught fire some 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal in Kannur. In this case too, the Coast Guard rescued most of the crew, and fought fire without a break since the ship began to list and drift towards the shore. Despite inclement weather and the raging fire, a towline was established and the ship is now being towed away from the Indian coast. Both ships had mixed cargo which also included some hazardous and noxious material. In this conversation, DIG Ashish Mehrotra, who commands the Coast Guard's district headquarters no. 4 that oversees Kerala and Mahe, talks about how the maritime agency responded and averted a major tragedy along the Indian coast. Reporting: S. Anandan Production: Shikha Kumari Editing: BR Asif
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Business Standard
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India issues security alert for seafarers, vessels in Strait of Hormuz
Amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, India's maritime regulator—the Directorate General of Shipping—has asked Indian shippers and maritime stakeholders to remain vigilant while transiting through one of the world's busiest trade routes, the Strait of Hormuz. 'Kind reference is made to the advisory issued on social media by the Embassy of India, Tehran, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, dated 13 June. In view of the same, all Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers calling at ports of Iran and transiting through the Strait of Hormuz are advised to exercise due caution while operating in or navigating through the region,' DG Shipping said in a maritime advisory on Friday. According to industry estimates, nearly a third of the world's liquefied natural gas and almost a fourth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz. In its advisory on Friday, the Indian Embassy in Iran urged all Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in Iran to remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements, follow the Embassy's social media accounts and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated in recent days, and global maritime watchers and traders have flagged an imminent threat to ocean trade arising from the conflict. 'All Indian seafarers, RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Services Licence) companies, shipping companies, trade unions, INSA (Indian National Shipowners' Association), FOSMA (Foreign Owner and Ship-Managers Association), MASSA (Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers and Agents), and all other stakeholders are strongly advised to monitor the safety and status of Indian crew onboard vessels operating in Iranian waters. Seafarers in Iran are requested to remain vigilant,' the DG Shipping advisory said.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt gives 48-hour ultimatum to MSC Shipmanagement to begin oil extraction from MSC ELSA 3
MUMBAI: The government has given a 48-hour ultimatum to MSC Shipmanagement Ltd to start work on extraction of oil from the sunken ship MSC ELSA 3 off the coast of Kerala or face legal consequences for 'continued inaction and delay representing not only negligence but also a violation of statutory obligations' in the backdrop of imminent environmental and economic threat posed to the Indian coastline and its coastal communities. The oil extraction work was slated to start around June 5 but has not even begun, the Director General of Shipping, Shyam Jagannathan, wrote in a June 11 notice issued to MSC Shipmanagement, the Cyprus-based ship management unit of Mediterranean Shipping Company, S.A., the world's biggest container shipping line and the operator of MSC ELSA 3. Voicing increasing concern on the progress made in salvage and emergency response operations of the sunken container ship, the D G Shipping said that it was 'grossly inadequate and continues to fall short of the timelines and operational commitments previously provided by the salvors (T&T Salvage) and the owner of the ship'. Despite repeated instructions and coordination meetings, the response from the salvors has been 'consistently delayed and insufficient', the country's maritime regulator said. 'The lack of prompt action has resulted in a continued and serious risk to the marine environment and coastline of India, particularly affecting the coastal regions of Kerala. The region's local communities, which heavily rely on fishing for their livelihoods, have already suffered extensive loss of work and income due to the prolonged presence of the sunken vessel, floating debris, oil sheen, and ongoing pollution risk,' Jagannathan wrote in the notice. The ship was carrying 367.1 metric tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil and 84.4 metric tonnes of diesel in its tanks when it capsized and sank on May 25. Recalling that salvors were clearly advised to mobilise necessary assets required for diving and oil recovery operations as early as the first day of the incident, the D G Shipping noted that the Diving Support Vessel (DSV) and necessary diving assets were not mobilised until after May 30. 'This initial delay set back the entire timeline for the operation. Even the tug assets hired by the owners arrived on scene only after June 1, with no prior deployment initiated by the salvors,' he told MSC Shipmanagement. While it was abundantly clear considering the depth of the water (51 meters) that saturation diving was required for the extraction of oil from the vessel, the salvors have, to date, been able to conduct only limited air diving operations, which are inadequate for the extraction of oil from the tanks of the sunken vessel. 'The timeline provided for these operations has been grossly violated. Capping of vents, which was scheduled for completion earlier this month, is still being conducted at present. The extraction of oil, originally scheduled to commence around June 5, 2025, has not even begun as of this date,' Jagannathan pointed out. The delay, Jagannathan wrote, is 'even more unacceptable' considering that the western coast of India, including Kerala, is entering its monsoon season - a period during which offshore salvage operations become highly unsafe or entirely unfeasible due to harsh weather conditions. 'The salvage operation was provided a short weather window to conduct these critical activities, and that window has now largely been lost as a direct consequence of the salvors' failure to timely deploy assets and personnel,' he said. The salvors had committed to arrange expert saturation divers and a team for the specialised equipment from 11 countries. The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), to assist the salvors, had written directly to the Indian Embassies and High Commissions in these countries to expedite visa clearances. 'Yet, it has come to light that several visa applications were not even filed by the salvors, resulting in continued non-availability of the saturation divers even at this stage,' the D G Shipping stated. 'This consistent inaction and delay represent not only negligence but also a violation of statutory obligations. Should the extraction of oil not commence within the next 48 hours, the government of India shall be left with no alternative but examine all avenues against the shipowners and salvors under applicable Indian legislation for the continuing threat posed to Indian waters and the coastal environment,' the D G Shipping told MSC Shipmanagement. 'Your actions (or lack thereof) may attract prosecution and penalties under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958; Environment (Protection) Act 1986; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Disaster Management Act, 2005, and any other applicable provisions under Indian maritime safety, environmental protection, and disaster management laws,' Jagannathan wrote in the notice. 'Any further delay beyond the specified period will be treated as wilful and deliberate noncompliance, and the government shall proceed to exercise its full legal rights and remedies without further reference,' he added.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
MV Wan Hai 503 blaze rages on; explosives confirmed, Kerala coast on Alert
KOCHI: Fire continued to rage and dark smoke with toxic fumes kept billowing from MV Wan Hai 503 on Tuesday, a day after a major blast ripped through the Singapore flagged container vessel. The Director General (DG) of Shipping released a list of 157 containers carrying hazardous cargo, but details of the explosives have not been revealed. However, sources confirmed the presence of explosives in the vessel, saying they might have triggered the blast. A top official said the shipping firm has been told that the vessel will not be allowed to dock at Indian ports and they will have to take it off Indian waters after dousing the fire. 'We have confirmed the presence of explosives on the vessel. But the list of dangerous goods released does not have these details. We believe the initial blast was triggered by the explosives and the fire spread to the inflammable cargo. Among the 18 crew members, five sustained burn injuries and were admitted to a hospital. The others are lodged in a hotel. The DG Shipping authorities will start recording their statements on Wednesday. The salvage team appointed by the shipping firm will arrive in Kochi on Wednesday morning. There are expert chemists in the team and the efforts to neutralise the toxic chemicals will be taken up based on their advice,' said a senior officer. Indian Coast Guard vessels Samudra Prahari and Sachet toiled hard pumping water at high force on the vessel to contain the flames while other ICG vessels Samarth, Abhinav and Arnvesh were, in addition to providing support, coordinating rescue operations. Indian Navy vessel INS Sutlej also joined the operations on Tuesday evening. The Dornier aircraft of Coast Guard deployed for surveillance has sighted around 10 to 15 containers drifting in the southeasterly direction. The estimated speed of the drift is 1 to 1.5 knots per hour. If unchecked, these containers may reach Kerala coast between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram by Thursday. The contents of the floating containers remain unknown, and their potential for hazard is under assessment.
United News of India
29-05-2025
- General
- United News of India
Oil, diesel leakage: 146 personnel deployed shoreline cleanup, retrieval of containers
Kochi, May 29 (UNI) Citing oil and diesel leakage from containers, 146 personnel have been deployed for shoreline cleanup and container retrieval operations for the ongoing response to the capsizing of Liberian flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3, off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025. "108 personnel have been deployed for shoreline cleanup and container retrieval operations. An additional 38 personnel have been mobilized for emergency response in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, and Kollam," Capt. Abul Kalam Azad, Nautical Advisor to the Government of India, has said. The 184-meter-long ship built in Germany in 1997 was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous materials. Over 100 containers are reported to have been lost at sea, and several have washed ashore in Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram. These efforts are being coordinated with the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and District Collectors of the affected coastal areas. The vessel was carrying 367.1 tonnes of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and 84.44 tonnes of marine diesel fuel. The environmental threat posed by the incident is being actively mitigated. The Indian Coast Guard has deployed ships and aircraft for aerial surveillance. Dispersants are being applied under the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan. Capt Abul Kalam Azad outlined three top operational priorities: Oil recovery from the sunken vessel, Retrieval of drifting containers and Removal of beached containers. The oil recovery operation is currently underway, with the salvage team setting July 3, 2025, as the completion target. So far, 50 containers have been identified from seven different coastal locations. The priority is to recover all of them within the next 48 hours. Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor to the Government of India, stated, 'The Ministry and DG Shipping are fully cognizant of the magnitude and complexity of the situation. All mechanisms are in place to address the issue and avert any further mishap.' Senthil Kumar, Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, reassured the public, saying, 'While minor oil traces have been detected, there has been no major oil spill. All traces found along the coast are being cleaned up through coordinated efforts.' Within 6 hours of the incident, DG Shipping convened a coordination meeting to avert a potential environmental disaster. Prompt rescue efforts ensured the safety of all 24 crew members. To date, 8 inter-agency coordination meetings have been held, issuing clear directives to all stakeholders. An onsite team in Kochi continues to monitor and manage pollution risks. High-range drones and precision scanning equipment are in use to detect and contain oil traces. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is working closely with DG Shipping, deploying trained volunteers for cleanup activities, said Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping and Additional Secretary to the Government of India; Officials reiterated that there is no large-scale oil spill and urged coastal residents not to panic. All visible traces are being addressed swiftly and scientifically. Local administrations are in constant touch with MMD and DG Shipping, and all container recovery and cleanup measures are under strict monitoring. UNI DS BM
