Ship Company Booked After Cargo Vessel Sinks Off Kochi Coast

Kochi: Police have filed a case, naming the shipping company as the first accused, following the sinking of a cargo vessel off the Kochi coast. The case has been registered against the owners of the MSC Elsa 3, the vessel involved in the accident. The ship’s master is named as the second accused, and the crew members as the third.

The Fort Kochi Coastal Police registered the First Information Report (FIR), citing actions that endangered human lives and property. The FIR points to the negligent handling of the ship, which led to environmental problems. It further states that the incident caused a crisis in the fishing sector and resulted in losses amounting to lakhs for fishermen.

The sinking of the cargo vessel ‘MSC Elsa 3’ off the Kochi coast on May 24 raised significant environmental concerns. The ship, which was carrying 643 containers, submerged, causing many of its containers to drift ashore along the Kerala coastline. The government had declared this incident a state disaster.

It was later confirmed that the vessel contained hazardous chemicals. This included 12 containers with calcium carbide and one container with a rubber-blended chemical mixture. Authorities had stated that these hazardous chemicals remained inside the ship, and the containers that reached the shore did not contain dangerous substances.