MSC Elsa shipwreck: Fire breaks out in containers washed ashore in Kollam during removal work

Kollam: A fire broke out during the removal of a container that had washed ashore from the sunken vessel MSC Elsa, even as the Kerala Government declared the shipwreck as a State specific disaster. The incident occurred at Shaktikulangara in Kollam. The fire is said to have started from the thermocol insulation inside the container. The blaze was brought under control by the fire and rescue services.

A total of nine containers had washed ashore at Shaktikulangara. Authorities had decided to cut the containers into sections and transport them to the Kollam Port. The fire broke out during the ongoing process of cutting and removing each container.

The fire was triggered during a gas-cutting operation, when the thermocol insulation inside one of the containers—which reportedly had freezer facilities—caught fire. Thick smoke rising from the flames caused panic among the local public. A fire and rescue unit present at the site managed to bring the situation under control.