The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday confirmed that all 24 crew members of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 have been rescued, which capsized around 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi coast.
@IndiaCoastGuard #MRCC, #Mumbai received a Distress Alert regarding Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 developing 26° list approx 38 nautical miles southwest of #Kochi. Vessel departed #Vizhinjam Port on 23 May 25, bound for #Kochi with ETA 24 May 25. #ICG is actively… pic.twitter.com/U7SzOBsE9h
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 24, 2025
According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of Sunday morning, all three crew members who remained on the ship were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the operation on Saturday evening. The other 21 crew members were already rescued, while the other three members, who included the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Second Engineer, remained onboard to facilitate planned salvage operations. The ICG further added that the reason for the vessel’s capsize is due to flooding in one of the holds. All crew are now safe and the ICG are assessing the situation for further action.
“Update as of 0830 hrs on 25 May 25:-In the early hours of 25 May 25, the vessel capsized rapidly, reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds. The 03 crew remaining onboard the abandoned ship were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined operations last evening. All crew remain safe, and ICG is conducting an assessment of the situation and issuing advisory to state authorities accordingly.
Further updates follow,” the Indian Coast Guard stated on X. Earlier, the Coast Guard PRO stated that the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy are maintaining their positions to monitor the vessel’s situation.
Indian Navy are currently assessing to determine if the vessel can be towed, aiming to prevent additional environmental damage. The 184-metre-long ship had departed from Vizhinjam Port on May 23 and was expected to reach Kochi on May 24. Around 1:25 PM on Saturday, the vessel’s operator, MSC Ship Management, informed Indian authorities about the incident and sought immediate assistance. The Indian Coast Guard swiftly initiated rescue efforts, deploying ships and aircraft in the vicinity to provide aerial support.
