Kollam: A total of eight containers have washed ashore the Kollam coast since early Monday morning after the cargo ship capsized.

The first container was spotted around 4 a.m. on the Alappad coast, followed by three container sets found near the Parimanam area of Neendakara at approximately 5 a.m.

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One of the container that washed ashore the Kollam coast

All the initial containers that have reached the shore so far were found in an open state and appear to be empty, the recent ones are still under investigation. Teams from the Disaster Management Force and the police are currently on-site to ensure public safety and secure the area.

Earlier, another container had washed ashore at Cheriyazheekkal in Alappad. Locals, alerted by a loud noise during the night, discovered the container near the Cheriyazheekkal CFI Ground, where it had collided with the seawall. Authorities were immediately notified, and a team led by District Collector N. Devidas and City Police Commissioner Kiran Narayanan conducted an inspection. Residents living nearby were relocated as a precaution.

Authorities confirmed that if any more containers from the sunken ship reach shore, they will be taken into the custody of the Customs Department. Of the 643 containers aboard the vessel, 73 are known to be empty. According to Customs, 13 containers contain chemicals, including calcium carbide. The contents of the remaining containers have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Under Customs law, any container that washes ashore becomes the responsibility of Customs. The cargo aboard the ship had reportedly not cleared Customs duty, and removing or tampering with any goods is illegal.

Customs Marine and Preventive units have been deployed along the Kerala coast to locate, monitor, and secure any drifting containers. Once they reach land, each container will be inspected. Non-hazardous materials will be transported to Kochi Port, while others will be taken into custody by the nearest Customs office.

Following this, the shipping agent responsible for the cargo will be summoned, and the 'Bill of Entry'—which records the contents of each container—will be examined. In the case of the sunken vessel Elsa, MSC Mediterranean Shipping is the registered agent. The primary objective is to confirm whether the contents match the declared items on the bill. The ship owner will be liable for any applicable taxes.

If containers are found to contain hazardous materials, they will be handled by government safety protocols.

Although many of these containers were not intended for offloading along the Kerala coast, they fall under the jurisdiction of local Customs as soon as they touch land. Authorities have urged the public to immediately report any floating containers or cargo seen along the coast or at sea.