New Delhi, May 26 (QNA) - Indian authorities issued an emergency alert on Monday following a suspected oil spill from a sunken container vessel off the coast of Kerala, southern India, amid grave concerns that the contamination may infiltrate the coastal waters within hours.

The Kerala government confirmed that the Liberian-flagged ship MSC ELSA 3 capsized nearly 38 nautical miles offshore while sailing from Vizhinjam Port to Kochi Port on Saturday.

 The incident triggered the fall of approximately 100 containers into the sea.

Authorities affirmed that all 24 crew members were rescued in a timely manner, while the vessel sank in its entirety under still-unexplained circumstances.

Local reports sounded the alarm that several containers are now adrift and may be carried by strong currents and winds toward the central and southern coastlines of Kerala.

Given this, the government issued a public warning urging residents to maintain a distance of no less than 200 meters from the shore, citing the possibility that some containers may house hazardous materials.

The Indian Coast Guard disclosed that the ship was transporting 640 containers, including 13 containing dangerous goods and 12 loaded with calcium carbide, a volatile substance that reacts with water to release flammable acetylene gas.

The vessel's tanks also held approximately 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil, intensifying the risk of a large-scale spill.

Environmental experts cautioned that this unfolding situation could culminate in a full-blown environmental catastrophe, posing a direct threat to marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal biodiversity. The unfolding crisis warrants an immediate and robust emergency response by all concerned agencies to contain the leakage and undertake rigorous water monitoring in the critical days ahead. (QNA)