Containers found floating along Gujarat coast were from same cargo ship that sank in Oman – 1,000 nautical miles away – two months ago

16 containers spotted in less than two months; liquid cargo being sampled and analysed to check for hazardous materials

Written by Brendan Dabhi

August 22, 2025 08:31 PM IST

Besides the shipping containers that contain solid cargo, the items of highest interest were the pressurised tanks that have reached the coastline and have been stuck there for more than a week.

Since July this year, people living along the Gujarat coastline have been greeted with an unusual sight rather frequently: Shipping containers floating on the waves and beaching on the shore across four districts. By Thursday, at least 16 such shipping containers and tanks, including pressurised tanks, reached the state, with most of them being reported by local villagers and fishermen to the police.

The Indian Express has now learnt that these shipping containers and tanks were all part of the same cargo that was aboard the MV Phoenix 15, a cargo ship flying the Comoros flag, that sank approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Salalah in Oman, on June 21. These containers have floated for over 1,000 nautical miles before reaching the Gujarat shore. Security agencies confirmed that several containers have also been beached on the Pakistan shoreline.

This 16-year-old and 118-metre-long cargo ship was going from Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Jeddah Port in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, when it sank en route to its destination. It has been reported that its 20 crew members were rescued by another cargo ship that was in the area.

While the Collector confirmed that 10 containers and tanks have reached the coast of Kutch, at least four have landed in Dwarka, according to police officers. One each washed up in Porbandar and Gir-Somnath districts, their Collectors told the Indian Express.

Kutch (West) SP Vikas Sunda, who recently received a commendation from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for Operation Sindoor, confirmed to the Indian Express, “Ten containers have reached Kutch and we have learnt that these are from a ship that sank earlier this year. A few more containers may wash up on the coast later on. We are keeping a close eye on the situation in cooperation with the security agencies.”

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Besides the shipping containers that contain solid cargo, the items of highest interest were the pressurised tanks that have reached the coastline and have been stuck there for more than a week. Sources told The Indian Express that these tanks are of vital concern since Indian authorities had to make sure whether or not they contain any hazardous materials. This year itself, there have been two recent incidents of such shipping containers with hazardous chemicals near the Kerala coastline.

The Customs Department is closely involved in the inspection of these containers. (Express Photo)

Kutch Collector Anand Patel said, “We have seen about 10 containers floating up to the Kutch coast, mostly in marshy areas, and are stuck there. It is difficult to mobilise vehicles in that area. We have taken samples to check whether they contain any hazardous material. We are working in conjunction with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on this matter.”

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Sources confirmed that teams from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had collected samples from these tanks to test the material and that their report was awaited. The Indian Express reached out to Devang Thakkar, the Member Secretary of the GPCB, who said, “These tests are being carried out at the local level at the behest of district administrations.”

The Customs Department is closely involved in the inspection of these containers. While the Indian Express reached out to several Customs officials, one of them, on condition of anonymity, said, “The Customs is checking these containers and we are working in close cooperation with the security agencies on this matter and assessing whether there are hazardous materials or not.” Another official said that after clearance, the containers will be the responsibility of the shipping line as per the Merchant Shipping Act.

The Indian Express, through the Armed Forces spokesperson in Gujarat, reached out to the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard for comment but were yet to receive any at the time of going to print.

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