A high-stakes salvage mission is underway off India’s west coast, where divers have begun pumping fuel from the wreck of the MSC Elsa 3, reports Maritime Executive. The containership sank on May 25 with about 450 metric tons of fuel onboard, including diesel and very low sulfur fuel oil, and fears of a prolonged spill have kept the site under tight watch.
On August 20, saturation diving operations started at a depth of 51 meters, led by SMIT Salvage, which replaced the earlier contracted firm. The team’s immediate goal is to extract the remaining fuel by September 25, though the schedule could slip due to monsoon weather. In July, an earlier phase sealed leaking vents, but the wreck continues to pose environmental risks.
Authorities have set up a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone to protect the operation, with support vessels monitoring for pollution.
