In a major development in the MSC Els-3 ship accident case, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has deposited ₹1,227.62 crore as security before the Kerala High Court, leading to the release of the detained cargo vessel MSC Aquitaine-2 from Vizhinjam port.
The vessel had been arrested and held at Vizhinjam following a High Court order issued while considering an admiralty suit filed by the Kerala government. The state had sought compensation for environmental and other losses caused by the accident.
The High Court had earlier directed MSC to deposit the amount as an interim measure. While the shipping company maintained that the actual damage was only ₹136 crore and questioned the need for such a large deposit, the court made it clear that failure to comply would result in the continued detention of another MSC vessel. As the amount was not deposited initially, MSC Aquitaine-2 remained anchored at Vizhinjam since September.
With the required sum now deposited, the court ordered the immediate release of the vessel.
The case relates to an incident in May last year, when the MSC Els-3, carrying nearly 600 containers, capsized in the outer sea off Kochi. Several containers, including those carrying chemical materials, drifted ashore at multiple locations, triggering environmental concerns along the Kerala coast.
