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The Hindu
09-06-2025
- The Hindu
State looks for insurance compensation in ship accident case
Though the sinking of MSC ELSA 3 off the Kerala coast sparked significant environmental concerns, including potential oil spills and spread of hazardous chemicals, the State government is of the view that there is no need to file an immediate criminal case against the shipping company in connection with the ship accident. Instead of pursuing a criminal case against the company, the government is looking for adequate insurance compensation through negotiation. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Director General of Shipping recently. According to a note prepared by the Chief Secretary, accessed by The Hindu, as per a discussion held between the Chief Minister and the Director General of Shipping on May 29, the general consensus in the State is that a criminal case need not be filed immediately and that the entire focus at this time should be on collecting evidence of damages so that evidence-based claims can be raised. 'The MSC is also a reputed company which patronises the Vizhinjam International Seaport, and the company requires the goodwill of Kerala for its operations here. It is also in its interest to cooperate with Kerala and settle the claims through the insurance agency. Considering all these aspects, our claim should be raised based on strong evidence and without any compromise,' the note says. The meeting also noted that a damage liability desk has been set up at Kochi by the Protection and Indemnity (P&l) Insurance Agency. Deputy Nautical Advisor Captain Anish Joseph is the nodal officer who is in contact with this agency. It was also decided that the oil in the hull of the ship will be extracted by experts on July 3. Therefore, till the oil is extracted or the buoys are placed around the sunken ship, it is best not to permit fishing within 20 nautical miles of the ship. The removal of the shipwreck and containers near the ship can be undertaken only after the monsoon in Kerala. The government decision has invited sharp criticism from various corners, with a section alleging that the State and the Centre are deliberately dragging their feet in the case, as the opposite party was global shipping giant MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) and the port in question in the incident was Vizhinjam. According to maritime law expert V.J. Mathew, an FIR should have been registered in Kerala apart from arresting the owner or master of the ship. The damage to the marine ecosystem is beyond the scale and size of the initial analysis. The cost to retrieve the ship along with containers should be extracted from the shipping company. Moreover, the long-term impact of the incident on the marine ecosystem should be assessed scientifically, and the company should be held liable for fixing the damage by providing sufficient compensation, he said. The State government has not even formally released the cargo manifest of the ship, while the cargo manifest of another ship that caught fire off the coast of Kerala was in the public domain soon after the incident. The nearly three-decade-old ship carrying more than 640 containers sank on May 25. As per reports, the ship had 13 containers with hazardous goods, and 12 of them had calcium carbide, a reactive compound.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Shipwreck off Kochi coast: Shipping officer to meet govt agencies, insurer to streamline claims
Kochi: The nodal officer appointed by the directorate general of shipping (DGS) will meet with state govt agencies and officials of the insurer to streamline the claims arising out of the sinking of the vessel MSC ELSA-3 vessel off the coast of Kochi. The meeting will also involve a representative of the insurer from the UK who is expected to arrive on Monday. DGS sources said that those affected, including the fisherfolk, need not worry as their grievances would be addressed. "Since it would be challenging for the fisherfolk to come forward with claims themselves, the state govt will take the lead role in coordinating with them as they will have the actual data. Whatever grievances they have will be addressed. The insurance company would try to take care of losses, including the loss of their livelihood," said deputy nautical adviser Capt Anish Joseph, the nodal officer appointed for the purpose. An SOP would soon be formed to deal with the compensation claims arising from the sinking. Sources also said that the insurance companies involved are reputable and are part of the international group of the protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "On Monday, one of their officials from London, along with a few other officials from India, will be arriving to meet the govt agencies to facilitate the claim process along with the nodal officer," said sources. The nodal officer will be travelling to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kanyakumari to meet with govt officials. Sources said that setting up district-wise cells to facilitate the process was also under consideration. Sources added that the first part will be the submission of the claims, then there will be scrutiny from the insurance side, after which the payout is likely to happen. "We want only fisherfolk to come forward, which is why the state govt is to take the lead," said a source adding that bogus claims can derail or delay the process. The govt will also be making claims for compensation since response measures are being undertaken by Coast Guard as well as the state govt. Sources added that salvage operations are also underway, and as per the water sampling tests so far, the water levels were not at a level that causes concern, said sources. Meanwhile, a special National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) meeting chaired by director general of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Paramesh Sivamani was conducted on Friday to review the pollution response action plan post the sinking of the vessel. Stakeholders from multiple govt agencies collaborated to discuss response efforts, ensuring a unified approach to protect the sensitive ecosystems of Kerala and south Tamil Nadu's coastline and safeguard the livelihoods of fisherfolk affected by the incident, ICG said in a post on X.
