Thiruvananthapuram: In a swift operation early Sunday, INS Sujata successfully rescued the last three crew members of a Liberian-flagged container ship that had capsized in the Arabian Sea, about 38 nautical miles (70 km) off the coast of Kochi, Kerala, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) reported.
The vessel, travelling from Vizhinjam to Kochi, was expected to reach its destination by Saturday evening. However, disaster struck when water began flooding one of its holds, leading to a rapid capsize in the early hours of May 25, triggering an emergency response.
"In the early hours of May 25, the vessel capsised rapidly, reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds. Three crew remained onboard the abandoned ship and were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined operations last evening," the ICG said.
All crew members are now safe, according to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which has launched an assessment of the incident and issued advisories to state authorities to mitigate any environmental risks.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) had warned on Saturday of a potential hazardous material spill in the sea. The ICG later confirmed that the capsized vessel, carrying marine gas oil and very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), had lost around 10 containers during the incident. Some of these containers reportedly contained oil substances essential for maritime operations.
VLSFO, a fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5% by mass, is crucial for meeting the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 2020 emissions regulations, which aim to reduce sulphur pollution in international waters.
Earlier on Saturday, 21 of the 24 crew members were rescued after the vessel began listing. The remaining three—the captain, chief engineer, and second engineer—initially stayed onboard but were later forced to abandon the sinking ship.
The vessel was approaching Cochin Port when the emergency unfolded. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and other relevant agencies are actively monitoring the situation and implementing measures to mitigate any environmental impact from the spill.
Further updates on the investigation and cleanup efforts are expected.
(inputs from IANS)