Kerala Coast Faces Environmental Threat from Sinking Cargo Ship

Containers from a Liberian cargo vessel that sank off the Kerala coast have begun washing ashore, local police reported on Monday.

Coastal police revealed that several containers were discovered along the southern Kollam coast, though the total count remains unknown as authorities strive to contain the situation. Police have been dispatched to all impacted regions.

Reports confirm that at least four containers have been located along the Kollam district shoreline. Officials warn the public to steer clear of these containers, as the ship carried 13 hazardous cargos among its 640 containers. The vessel capsized on Sunday, resulting in a major oil spill, prompting a statewide alert. The oil, drifting at three kilometers per hour, threatens the ecologically fragile Kerala coastline. According to the Indian Coast Guard, the sunken ship contained 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil. Some containers held chemicals like calcium carbide, which reacts with seawater to emit highly flammable acetylene gas. The Coast Guard is heading pollution response efforts and closely monitoring the oil slick's spread.

(With inputs from agencies.)