08-07-2025
Kerala HC Orders Arrest Of Sunk Vessel's Sister Ship After State Seeks Rs 9,531 Crore In Damages
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On May 25, MSC Elsa, carrying over 643 containers, including hazardous cargo and plastic pellets, capsized about 13 nautical miles from Thottapally spillway off Kerala coast
The Kerala High Court has ordered the conditional arrest of MSC Akiteta-II, a sister vessel of the Liberian vessel MSC Elsa, which sank off the state's coast. The government has filed an admiralty suit and sought Rs 9,531 crore as compensation, including for pollution damage, remedial action taken by the state and the loss of livelihood of fishermen.
The ship is currently at the Vizhinjam port in Trivandrum and according to the order, the vessel can leave the port only if the company gives a security for the amount.
Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup and advocate Parvathy kottol, government pleader, appeared for the state.
In its plaint, the State invoked Section 4 of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017, to seek compensation, including Rs 8,626.12 crore for pollution damage, Rs 378.48 crore for environmental restoration, and Rs 526.51 crore for economic losses suffered by fishermen and coastal communities, amounting to a total maritime claim of Rs 9,531.11 crore.
The State also asked that interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum be awarded from the date of suit till judgment and thereafter at 12 per cent till realisation.
It was on May 25 that MSC Elsa capsized approximately 13 nautical miles from the Thottapally spillway off the Kerala coast. According to the admiralty suit, the vessel was carrying over 643 containers, including hazardous cargo and plastic pellets known as 'nurdles'.
According to the suit, 'The incident has resulted in massive pollution of Kerala's marine ecosystem, with oil slicks and floating cargo causing serious detriment to the environment, coastal fisheries, and public health."
As on June 30, over 61 containers have washed ashore along the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, and approximately 59.6 metric tons of plastic nurdles have been collected and transported from Veli Beach to Kollam Port.
Manual and mechanical clean-up continues with the aid of 600 government personnel and 300 volunteers under the supervision of the Marine Emergency Response Centre.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) declared the incident a 'state disaster".
Financial relief has been sanctioned to 78,498 fishermen families and 27,020 allied families at Rs 21,000 per person, along with free ration of 6kg rice per head. The fish market has also suffered a severe crash due to contamination fears.
The admiralty suit also stated that six cetacean carcasses, including dolphins and a whale, have been found ashore, suspected to have died due to exposure to microplastics and toxic substances released from the vessel.
First Published:
July 08, 2025, 10:03 IST
