India Works to Stop Oil from Spreading After Ship Sinks

A big cargo ship called MSC ELSA 3 sank in the ocean near India's coast on Saturday. The ship was carrying 640 containers when it started taking on water and sent out a call for help. All 24 people working on the ship were saved safely.

The sunken ship is now leaking oil into the Arabian Sea. The ship had 84 tons of diesel fuel and 367 tons of heavy oil in its tanks. Some containers also had dangerous chemicals inside them.

Indian coast guard teams are working hard to clean up the oil spill. They are using special airplanes to find where the oil is spreading in the water. The state of Kerala has warned all fishing boats to stay away from a large area around the sunken ship.

Officials are worried because the oil could wash up on beaches along India's coast. The containers from the ship are floating in the ocean and moving at about 3 kilometers per hour. Fishermen cannot work in the area for now to keep them safe.

The coast guard is working with local government leaders to handle this pollution emergency and protect the ocean environment.