Kerala govt declares shipwreck off state coast a disaster

The Kerala government declared the capsizing of the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 a state-specific disaster. The ship carrying over 643 containers, including hazardous cargo, sank in the Arabian Sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast on May 25. The incident has raised serious environmental concerns, including oil spills and drifting debris along Kerala's coastline, an official order said.