Capsize of cargo ship MSC Elsa 3: Seven foreign crew members move Kerala HC for nod to return home

Kochi: Seven crew members of the vessel MSC Elsa 3, which capsized off Kerala coast in May 2025, have approached Kerala high court seeking the return of their passports and permission to return to their home countries.Ivanov Alexander, the ship’s captain, along with six others, including the chief officer, chief engineer, second engineer, and other crew members from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and the Philippines, has filed the petition. A bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas adjourned the petition to May 29 after the central govt, director general of shipping and principal officer of mercantile marine department sought further time to file affidavits.Elsa 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, capsized 13 nautical miles off Alappuzha on May 25, 2025, while en route from Vizhinjam port to Kochi port. The incident allegedly resulted in severe marine pollution and led to several lawsuits. Following the rescue operations, the mercantile marine department issued a notice directing the crew members to remain in Kochi and not leave the city without written permission.The petition further stated that director general of shipping had permitted 15 crew members to return to their home countries in Aug 2025 but excluded the petitioners. Although the petitioners claimed to have cooperated with the investigation, they have remained stranded in Kochi for nearly 11 months without any charges being framed against them. The petition also claimed that despite multiple letters and emails seeking permission for repatriation on humanitarian grounds, the authorities continued to insist that the petitioners were required for the investigation.