Kochi: The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on Friday said that capping and plugging of all identified fuel oil tanks of the Liberian-flagged ship which sank off the Kerala coast last month, has been completed and there is no evidence of oil leakage in the vicinity of the wreck.

According to a situation report issued by the DGS, the oil containment measures have temporarily stabilised the situation, but full risk mitigation will happen only on successful commencement of saturation diving to extract the remaining trapped fuel oil from the vessel, MSC Elsa 3.

“Delays in mobilisation of saturation diving equipment have already shifted the initial operational timelines,” it said, adding that according to the salvors, hot tapping and oil extraction will take around 24 days — weather permitting.

The DGS said it has directed the salvors to submit two revised schedules — “one optimistic, assuming good weather, and one realistic, accounting for monsoon disruptions”.

Besides this, the report also states that efforts to recover the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) were not yet successful and the diving operations for it will continue.

The SEAMAC III vessel, from which the divers were working, has returned to Kochi for conversion to saturation diving operations and the process is expected to take three days, the report said.

Regarding the clean-up process along the shoreline, it said that the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) has reported that 58 containers have been delivered to port with one small container piece recovered during the day and the hydraulic oil barrels have also been secured.

The nurdle recovery is continuing, but is taking time as more of it is being deposited on shores due to wave action, it said, adding that a beach-cleaning vacuum unit from Bengaluru was en route for field trials.

“The overall volume of nurdles recovered remains significant, requiring continued large-scale manpower engagement. The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) has recommended further increasing volunteer deployment to accelerate shoreline recovery.

“Meanwhile, MERC continues to maintain daily site-wise cleanup activities across affected districts,” the report said.

On Thursday, authorities had given the salvors and owners of the vessel 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act will lead to civil and criminal charges.

The ship had sunk approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Kerala’s Alappuzha district.

The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The vessel sank with oil still trapped inside.

On June 11, Kerala Police registered a case of rash navigation against the ship’s owner, master, and crew.

An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel–which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property–in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking on 24-25 May near Alappuzha district.