, in coordination with the Indian Navy, successfully saved all 24 crew members from a Liberian-flagged container vessel){kind=link}
MAY 25: In a significant maritime rescue operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in coordination with the Indian Navy, successfully saved all 24 crew members from a Liberian-flagged container vessel, MSC ELSA 3, which sank off the Kerala coast in the early hours of May 25, 2025. The ship, carrying hazardous cargo, sank at approximately 0750 hrs, about 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi.
The emergency began on May 24 when MSC ELSA 3, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, developed a 26-degree list to starboard. The crew raised a distress alert as the vessel began losing stability. The Indian Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Kochi immediately launched a coordinated operation. An ICG Dornier aircraft spotted two liferafts carrying survivors. Rescue ships were quickly deployed, and nearby merchant vessels MV Han Yi and MSC Silver 2 were also redirected to assist under global search and rescue protocols.
By late evening on May 24, 21 of the 24 crew members had been rescued by ICG units. The crew included foreign nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines. The remaining three senior officers stayed onboard to assist with ongoing salvage arrangements. Unfortunately, the vessel’s condition worsened overnight, leading to its capsizing the next morning. These last three crew members were safely rescued by the Indian Navy’s INS Sujata.
The vessel carried 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous materials and 12 filled with calcium carbide—posing significant environmental risk. Additionally, the ship had onboard 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil.
Given the ecological sensitivity of the Kerala coastline, the ICG has activated its full pollution response protocol. ICG ship Saksham, equipped with pollution control gear, has been deployed at the site. Meanwhile, aerial surveillance is ongoing using ICG aircraft fitted with oil spill detection technology. As of now, no oil spill has been detected.