According to a report from India’s Ministry of Defence, a container ship suddenly capsized and sank off the Indian coast on Sunday.

The Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 capsized and sank around 07:50 on May 25, 2025, near Kochi, India, after listing 26 degrees to starboard. All 24 crew members were rescued—21 by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and 3 by the Indian Navy vessel INS Sujata.

Managed and operated by MSC, the 184-meter-long ship departed Visakhapatnam on May 23 and was en route to Kochi, with an expected arrival on the 24th. The incident occurred about 38 nautical miles south of Kochi, where the ICG responded to a distress signal and found the vessel heavily listing due to water ingress in one of its cargo holds.

At the time of the incident, MSC ELSA 3 was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials and 12 containing calcium carbide. Reports indicate that approximately 100 containers fell into the sea.

The 28-year-old vessel was also carrying 367.1 tonnes of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and 84.4 tonnes of marine gas oil (MGO).

Kerala’s Minister for Ports, V. N. Vasavan, stated that the cause of the accident is still under investigation. He noted that adverse weather conditions—including strong winds, high waves, and potential cargo stability issues—may have contributed to the incident.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure maritime safety and minimize environmental risks. No oil spill has been reported so far.

MSC experienced explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to its strategy of acquiring used ships and continuing operations with aging vessels. In January 2023, MSC surpassed Maersk with a capacity of 4.2 million TEU, becoming the world’s largest container carrier. By May 2023, through a surge of vessel acquisitions and minimal scrapping, its fleet reached 5 million TEU. In July 2024, MSC crossed the 6 million TEU mark and currently operates 6.6 million TEU, with over 2 million TEU on order.