Successful Salvage: The Story of MSC Elsa 3's Bunker Oil Removal

The bunker oil on MSC Elsa 3, a ship that sank off Kerala, has been successfully removed. Declared a wreck, further steps include addressing compensation claims and wreck removal. Efforts prevented a major oil spill and minimized risks from hazardous materials.

The Director General of Shipping, Shyam Jagannathan, announced on Friday that the removal of bunker oil from the sunken vessel, MSC Elsa 3, has been successfully completed. The ship, now officially declared a wreck, sank off the Kerala coast.

The operation effectively nullified the preliminary risk of an oil spill posed by over 300 metric tonnes of bunker oil. According to Jagannathan, the removal operation was supervised by the Principal Officer of the Mercantile Marine Department and marked significant progress in salvage efforts. India has acceded to the Wreck and Salvage Convention, and current focus is on compensation claims and wreck removal.

The Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 sank on May 25, approximately 14.6 nautical miles from Thottappally, in Kerala's Alappuzha district. It carried 643 containers, some of which contained hazardous materials such as calcium carbide and plastic pellets, posing potential environmental threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)