• A Liberian cargo ship (MSC ELSA 3), carrying 640 containers including 13 with hazardous cargo, capsized and sank in the sea off Kerala's coast on May 25. 

• The incident has led to a significant oil spill, with leaked fuel drifting at around three kilometres per hour, prompting authorities to brace for potential impact along the Kerala coastline. 

• The Kerala government has sounded a statewide alert, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, and the Coast Guard is working to contain the spill. 

• With the rescue of 3 more crew members by a Navy ship, all the 24-member crew have been rescued.

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said the ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks, in addition to containers carrying hazardous materials like calcium carbide.

• Calcium carbide is a chemical that reacts violently with seawater to release highly flammable acetylene gas.

• An ICG aircraft, with advanced oil spill mapping technology, has been tasked with assessing the situation. 

• The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has cautioned the general public against touching any cargo containers or oil spills that may wash ashore.

• The 184-metre-long vessel, MSC ELSA 3, departed for Kochi from Vizhinjam port on May 24. 

• At around 1.25 pm on May 24, the company owning the ship informed Indian authorities that it was listing by 26 degrees and sought urgent assistance.

• ICG’s Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Kochi immediately launched a coordinated response. An ICG Dornier aircraft was deployed for aerial surveillance, spotting two life rafts with survivors. ICG patrol ships and merchant vessels MV Han Yi and MSC Silver 2 were also diverted to assist, in line with global Search and Rescue protocols.

• By late evening, 21 of the 24 crew, including nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines, had been rescued. Three senior crew members remained onboard to assist with salvage arrangements. 

• The vessel’s condition deteriorated overnight and it capsized on May 25. The three crew members were forced to abandon the ship and were rescued by INS Sujata.

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