All 24 Crew Rescued From Capsized Container Ship near Kochi Coast
The last three crew members who remained on the ship were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the operation on Saturday evening
By : ANI
Update: 2025-05-25 05:59 GMT
Kochi: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday confirmed that all 24 crew members of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 have been rescued after the ship capsized around 38 nautical miles southwest of the Kochi coast.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of Sunday morning, the last three crew members who remained on the ship were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the operation on Saturday evening.
The other 21 crew members had already been rescued earlier, while the remaining three — including the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Second Engineer — had stayed onboard to facilitate planned salvage operations.
The ICG further stated that the vessel capsized due to flooding in one of its holds. All crew members are now safe, and the Coast Guard is currently assessing the situation for further action.
"Update as of 0830 hrs on 25 May 25: In the early hours of 25 May, the vessel capsized rapidly reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds. 03 crew remaining onboard abandoned ship and were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined operations last evening. All crew remain safe and ICG is conducting assessment of the situation and issuing advisory to state authorities accordingly. Further updates follow," the Indian Coast Guard posted on X.
Earlier, the Coast Guard PRO had stated that the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy were maintaining positions to monitor the vessel’s situation. The Indian Navy is currently making assessments to determine whether the vessel can be towed to prevent additional environmental damage.
The 184-metre-long ship had departed from Vizhinjam Port on May 23 and was scheduled to reach Kochi on May 24.
Around 1:25 PM on Saturday, the vessel’s operator, MSC Ship Management, informed Indian authorities of the incident and sought immediate assistance. The Indian Coast Guard promptly initiated rescue efforts, deploying ships and aircraft in the vicinity to provide aerial support.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of Sunday morning, the last three crew members who remained on the ship were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the operation on Saturday evening.
The other 21 crew members had already been rescued earlier, while the remaining three — including the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Second Engineer — had stayed onboard to facilitate planned salvage operations.
The ICG further stated that the vessel capsized due to flooding in one of its holds. All crew members are now safe, and the Coast Guard is currently assessing the situation for further action.
"Update as of 0830 hrs on 25 May 25: In the early hours of 25 May, the vessel capsized rapidly reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds. 03 crew remaining onboard abandoned ship and were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined operations last evening. All crew remain safe and ICG is conducting assessment of the situation and issuing advisory to state authorities accordingly. Further updates follow," the Indian Coast Guard posted on X.
Earlier, the Coast Guard PRO had stated that the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy were maintaining positions to monitor the vessel’s situation. The Indian Navy is currently making assessments to determine whether the vessel can be towed to prevent additional environmental damage.
The 184-metre-long ship had departed from Vizhinjam Port on May 23 and was scheduled to reach Kochi on May 24.
Around 1:25 PM on Saturday, the vessel’s operator, MSC Ship Management, informed Indian authorities of the incident and sought immediate assistance. The Indian Coast Guard promptly initiated rescue efforts, deploying ships and aircraft in the vicinity to provide aerial support.