Pakistan, May 27 -- Southern coastline of Indian is facing a growing environmental crisis after the sinking of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship called MSC ELSA 3 near Kerala. The 184-metre-long vessel, carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo, went down on Sunday.

The incident sparked fears of a dangerous oil spill. Thankfully, all 24 crew members were rescued. But the threat now comes from the 370 tonnes of fuel and oil inside the sunken ship, as well as the hazardous chemicals, including calcium carbide, used in fertiliser and steelmaking.

India's coastguard is trying to contain the spill by spraying chemicals from ships and aircraft, while the Kerala government has warned people not to touch or go near any containers...