MSC Elsa 3 owner deposits ₹1,227.62 cr. to free sister vessel

ENVIRONMENT – POLLUTION

9 JANUARY 2026

The owner firm of container ship MSC Elsa 3 that sank off the Kerala coast in May 2025 has deposited a compensation of ₹1,227.62 crore with the Kerala High Court as bank guarantee, following which the court permitted the release of its sister vessel MSC Akiteta-2.
MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is a major global shipping line that operates the vessel, though it sails under the flag of Liberia.
The sister vessel that had been detained off Vizhinjam following a court order of November 11, 2025 has thus left the port.
The court had, in September 2025, reduced the security amount that had to be paid by the owners of MSC Elsa 3 from ₹9,531 crore to ₹1,227.62 crore.
It thus modified its July 7 order, in an admiralty suit filed by the State government, following which MSC Akiteta-2 was detained at Vizhinjam.
The government had claimed the compensation for the marine and coastal pollution and the loss caused to fishers after the sinking of the ship, following which the court had ordered the conditional arrest of its sister vessel till the compensation was paid.