43 Containers Worth Of Plastic Pellets Collected From MSC Elsa 3 Spill

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) states that over 43 containers worth of plastic pellets, which washed ashore from the sunken container ship MSC Elsa 3 off the coast of Kerala, have been collected thus far.

Chairman of MEPA, Samantha Gunasekara, noted that these plastic pellets continue to wash ashore along the coastline extending from the Jaffna islands down to Galle.

He added that the situation has intensified with the onset of the monsoon season.

A total of 1,800 workers have been deployed to remove these pellets, funded financially by the relevant shipping company.

Meanwhile, the preparation of estimates required to claim compensation for the impact caused to the country's marine ecosystem by the sinking of the Elsa 3 vessel has now commenced.

The Chairman stated that the expert committee appointed for this purpose convened yesterday as well.

The container ship MSC Elsa 03, which sailed under the Liberian flag, met with an accident due to a water leak on May 25, 2025.

The incident occurred in the marine region located 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, India.

At the time of its sinking, the vessel was carrying 643 containers.