Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 sinks off Kerala; all 24 crew rescued by Coast Guard and Navy
The Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 sank off the Kochi coast on 25 May 2025 due to flooding; all 24 crew were rescued — 21 by the Indian Coast Guard and three by the Indian Navy's INS Sujata.
Summary
MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian container vessel, sank off the Kochi coast of Kerala at about 07:50 on 25 May 2025 due to flooding, the Ministry of Defence said. The emergency began on 24 May when the ship, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, developed a 26-degree starboard list about 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi. All 24 crew were rescued: 21 by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and three by the Indian Navy's INS Sujata. The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, and carried 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil. ICG activated pollution response, deploying ship Saksham and aircraft with oil-spill detection systems.
Key facts
- Sank
- 25 May 2025, about 07:50, off Kochi coast, Kerala
- Vessel
- MSC ELSA 3, Liberian-flagged container ship
- Route
- Vizhinjam to Kochi; 26° starboard list on 24 May, ~38 nm SW of Kochi
- Rescue
- All 24 crew — 21 by ICG, 3 by INS Sujata
- Cargo
- 640 containers, incl. 13 hazardous and 12 with calcium carbide; 84.44 MT diesel, 367.1 MT furnace oil
- Pollution response
- ICG ship Saksham; aircraft with oil-spill detection
Practice MCQs 4 questions
Which Indian Navy ship rescued three crew members of MSC ELSA 3 before it sank in May 2025?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — INS Sujata
Of the 24 crew, 21 were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and three by the Indian Navy's INS Sujata.
Twelve of the containers aboard MSC ELSA 3, which sank off Kerala in May 2025, contained which substance?
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Correct answer: C — Calcium carbide
The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide.
Consider the following statements about MSC ELSA 3: 1. It was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi when it developed a list. 2. It was carrying liquefied natural gas as its main cargo. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: it was a container vessel carrying 640 containers, with diesel and furnace oil aboard.
Which Indian Coast Guard ship carrying pollution response equipment was deployed at the MSC ELSA 3 site on 25 May 2025?
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Correct answer: D — ICGS Saksham
ICG ship Saksham, carrying pollution response equipment, was deployed at the site.