KOCHI: Though police have registered a case in connection with the sinking of the Liberian cargo ship MSC Elsa 3, they are yet to record statements from the crew as most of them have tested positive for Covid-19. The crew members are under quarantine at a hotel in Kochi.
According to police, the crew underwent medical tests recently, following which most of them were found to be Covid-positive.
“We are in touch with the shipping company, which has informed us that most of the crew members are currently infected. We will wait for their health to improve before recording their statements. Meanwhile, we have sought details from the company regarding the wreckage and the cargo containers that fell into the sea.
We will seek details from Vizhinjam port regarding containers loaded before the ship started voyage to Kochi port,” a police officer said. Officers added that once legal formalities are completed, the crew may approach the court seeking permission to leave the country.
“The court will impose conditions to ensure that the captain and crew are available whenever required for investigation or trial. The charges registered against the accused are currently bailable,” the officer said.
The ship’s owner, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has been named as the first accused. The vessel’s captain, identified as Russian national Ivanov Alexander, along with 23 crew members from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines, have been listed as the second and third accused. The charges include negligent navigation, causing obstruction and danger in navigational routes, careless handling of hazardous, flammable, and explosive materials, and committing the offence in an organised manner.