‘We are safe now’: Rescued crew members of MSC ELSA 3 thank Indian Coast Guard and Navy
# News Desk
MSC ELSA 3
Kochi: Crew members of the Liberian-flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3, which capsized and sank off the Kerala coast, have thanked the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy for rescuing all 24 sailors aboard the vessel.
“Yesterday, our vessel MSC ELSA 3 sent a distress signal. The ship was about to sink, so we alerted the Indian Coast Guard. They came to our rescue. We are grateful to the Indian Coast Guard for their help,” said one of the rescued crew members.
“Thank you to the Indian Coast Guard for rescuing all 24 of us,” said another.
A third crew member added, “The Indian Coast Guard vessel rescued us. We are safe now, and we thank the Indian Coast Guard for their help.”
Another said, “We sent a distress signal to the Indian Coast Guard due to flooding in our vessel. The ICG responded and rescued us. We are now safely onboard the Coast Guard vessel. Thank you to the ICG for saving us.”
All 24 crew members were eventually rescued after a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy. According to the Coast Guard, 21 of the crew were rescued by the Coast Guard ship ICGS Arnvesh on Saturday evening. The remaining three, including the vessel's master, chief engineer and assistant engineer, were rescued by the Indian Navy ship INS Sujata on Sunday morning after abandoning ship.
Captain Arjun Shekhar of INS Sujata said, “On May 24, at 12.15 a.m., we received a distress call from motor vessel MSC ELSA 3. Indian Navy deployed two ships, INS Satpura and INS Sujata. Sujata arrived at 7 p.m. and Satpura arrived at 8 p.m. We faced adverse conditions. We had wind speeds gusting up to 40 knots, debris and containers in the water, which made approaching the ship at night very difficult. In the evening, 21 crew were rescued by ICGS Arnvesh. This morning, the remaining three crew were rescued. We were prepared for every contingency and we are in the business of saving lives, and we have delivered and achieved that today.”
Indian Navy PRO Athul Pillai added, “Today morning, INS Sujata rescued three of the crew — the master, the chief engineer and the assistant engineer. They were on board the ship since yesterday. So today it was felt that, if they stayed put more, it was a danger for them. So they had to abandon the ship and the crew was rescued by the crew of INS Sujata. The rest of the crew were rescued by the Coast Guard ship and a merchant ship. The 21 crew have been brought to Kochi by a Coast Guard ship.”
He also said that two Coast Guard vessels — Saksham and Samarth — were now engaged in pollution response activities. Saksham, which is already in the area, has been reconfigured for oil spill response, while Samarth is proceeding to the site. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft has also been deployed for aerial surveillance and assessment.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, the 184-metre-long MSC ELSA 3 capsized and sank in the early hours of 25 May at position 09°18.76'N 076°08.12'E, roughly 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The ship had earlier reported a 26-degree list on 24 May around 1.25 p.m., prompting immediate intervention by Indian maritime agencies.
The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks, raising concerns of a potential oil spill.
The Coast Guard has confirmed that the vessel was carrying Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).
The Coast Guard said that although no spill has been reported yet, pollution response teams are on high alert, and aircraft with advanced oil spill mapping systems are conducting assessments. The Coast Guard is coordinating with the state administration to mitigate any environmental impact, noting the ecological sensitivity and tourism value of the Kerala coast.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has cautioned the public not to touch any cargo containers or oil residues that may wash ashore and to inform the police if such materials are found. Authorities also warned that oil films could appear on parts of the coastline.
A Defence PRO said another vessel from the ship’s parent company had reached the area to support assistance efforts. The MSC ELSA 3 was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam port when it encountered trouble. The 24-member crew comprised one Russian national (the master), 20 Filipinos, two Ukrainians and one Georgian.
