More shipwreck containers seen on TVM coast; Fishing ban in effect till May 28; How to identify hazardous boxes

Kollam: A total of 34 containers from the MSC Elsa3, the cargo ship that sank off the coast of Kochi, have washed ashore in Kollam. The containers were seen at the Alappad coast around 10:30 pm on Sunday and were later found in areas including Chavara, Parimanam, and Shakthikulangara by Monday morning. Local police and fishermen secured them to the shore using ropes.

Linked and refrigerated containers found

Three of the containers that reached the Kollam coast were found linked together. Some were equipped with refrigeration systems. Additionally, one of the ship’s lifeboats was discovered washed ashore at Shakthikulangara.

Authorities believe the containers reached Kollam due to the southward-flowing monsoon ocean currents. Of the total 643 containers on the MSC Elsa3, 13 are known to have carried hazardous chemicals. As a precautionary measure, a fishing ban has been imposed until May 28 over concerns that some of these chemicals may have leaked into the sea.

What was inside the containers?

Among the contents found in the containers that washed ashore were:

Green tea packets – Discovered in a red-colored container behind St. John de Britto Church in Shakthikulangara.

Newsprint rolls and cloth – Found in another container that landed nearby.

Polymer sheets – Retrieved from a container towed to the Kollam port by a fishing vessel.

Thermocol – A large amount has accumulated on the Shakthikulangara coast, believed to have escaped from a damaged container.

Ten containers washed ashore near Vilavilthoppu Church, but their contents remain unidentified as they were wrapped in plastic sheets. Some other containers that were found initially were empty on the inside.

Removal operations underway

Efforts have begun to remove the containers from the Kollam coast. Since many of them washed up in areas inaccessible to vehicles and cranes, they will be towed by sea to the Kollam port using fishing vessels. Full-scale retrieval operations are expected to commence on Tuesday.

More containers reach Thiruvananthapuram coast

Additional containers have begun washing ashore in coastal regions of Thiruvananthapuram district. Early Monday morning, containers were found on the shores of Anchuthengu, Ayiroor, Varkala, and Edava.

Parcels and debris from the containers have been reported floating around the coasts of Anchuthengu, Mampally, and Muthalappozhi, according to coastal police.

At least two open containers were found near the Varkala-Edava Manthra coastline around 3 AM. Due to rough seas and strong waves, the containers were damaged, spilling their contents into the ocean. Another open container was discovered at Odayam beach near Varkala.

A white substance, suspected to have leaked from one of these containers, has spread across the shore near Papanasam Bali Mandapam, an area where people commonly gather in the morning to perform Bali Tharpanam (ancestral offerings).

How to identify the containers?

Different color codes are used to identify the contents of containers. Indicators are marked on containers classified as hazardous substances, flammable materials, etc.

Codes are as follows

Class 1 - Explosives - Orange

Class 2.1 - Flammable gases - Red

Class 2.2 - Non-hazardous, non-flammable gases - Green

Class 2.3 - Toxic gases - White

Class 3 - Flammable liquids - Red

Class 4.1 - Flammable solids - Red with white stripes

Class 4.2 - Spontaneously combustible substances - White and Red

Class 4.3 - Substances dangerous when wet - Blue

Class 5.1 - Oxidizing substances - Yellow

Class 5.2 - Organic peroxides - Yellow

Class 6 - Toxic substances - White with hazard symbol

Class 7 - Radioactive materials - Yellow and White

Class 8 - Corrosive substances - Black, White

Class 9 - Miscellaneous - Mixed Black and White