Salvage Divers Head for MSC Elsa 3 as India Collects Evidence

India’s Directorate General of Shipping reports that the salvage operation for the sunken MSC Elsa 3 containership are moving into its next phase although offshore will in part be delayed by the monsoon season. This comes as the media is reporting the Indian government decided not to file criminal charges against MSC Mediterranean Shipping and instead is collecting more evidence for insurance claims while MSC continues to work with the country to recover from the casualty.

The MSC Elsa 3 was lost on May 25 while it was 13 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The small feeder ship built in 1997 was 23,000 dwt and had 640 containers aboard. At least 100 were reported lost overboard with 61 having so far washed ashore.

The focus is on controlling and stopping the oil that is seeping from the ship. Two offshore support vessels have remained at the site using dispersal techniques for a small amount of oil that is escaping from the vessel. So far, the Indian authorities insist the oil has not reached the coastline, but fishing in the area remains restricted. Reports indicate there are more than 80 tons of diesel and over 360 tons of heavy fuel aboard. An Indian Coast Guard pollution response vessel also remains on site.

Containers floating at the wreck site (Indian Coast Guard)

The Diving Support Vessel SEAMEC III has now been deployed to the wreck site with a team of 12 divers aboard. The vessel has ROVs aboard as well as diving equipment, and a decompression system for diving to the wreck is at oxygen levels. Starting today, June 9, the operation is identifying openings for the fuel tanks. The divers will be working to cap the tanks to prevent further seepage.

A site survey began on June 5 using a multibeam system to map the location. This data is also being analyzed for the second phase of the operation which is scheduled to start July 3 after the monsoons but subject to weather. In July, they plan to use hot tapping to remove the oil from the tanks.

At the same time, they report that 51 containers have been removed from the shoreline. Another 10 are currently being salvaged including some that are partially submerged. The authorities report that none of the 61 containers that came ashore contained hazardous substances.

Several of the containers however did contain small plastic beads, nurdles, and they have been washing up along the coastline. Trained volunteers will be joining the efforts on the coastline to find and remove the pollution that is coming ashore.

Coast Guard survey the boxes on the shoreline which have now been salvaged (Indian Coast Guard)

The Directorate reports MSC is closely involved having retained T&T Salvage of Singapore for the dive operation. Marine Emergency Response Services of India was also hired to manage the onshore efforts.

The state government met with representatives for the ship’s P&I club, which is listed by Equasis as the Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association with the UK P&I Club. They have also met with the ship’s owners, which Equasis reports has been with MSC for the past decade. The state government has agreed at this phase to pursue a settlement with the club following the law while it collects evidence regarding the vessel and the factors that caused it to sink so quickly while underway from Vizhinjam to Kochi. Reports have said the investigators believe there were problems with the vessel’s ballasting system that caused it to develop a 26-degree list which led to its sinking.