A Liberian vessel carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo, sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday, sparking fears of a possible oil spill. All 24 crew members were rescued after the ship developed a critical tilt on Saturday, according to officials.

So far, no oil spill has been reported, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday as full pollution response preparedness was activated by the Indian Coast Guard which was monitoring the situation along with the Indian Navy. Of the 24 crew members, 21 had been rescued by the Indian Coast Guard on Saturday, and the remaining three were later rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the rescue operation launched by the ICG.