India urges IMO probe into maritime incidents involving foreign ships

India urged the IMO to undertake a comprehensive investigation and global review of all such incidents involving container ships, the statement said

India on Wednesday highlighted recent maritime incidents involving foreign-flagged container vessels operating in Indian waters and urged the International Maritime Organization to review all such incidents, according to an official statement.

Shipping secretary TK Ramachandran, while participating in the 134th session of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said recent maritime incidents caused by undeclared hazardous cargoes have raised serious safety concerns.

"India delivered a strong and principled statement addressing recent maritime incidents involving foreign-flagged container vessels operating in Indian waters," the statement said.

India urged the IMO to undertake a comprehensive investigation and global review of all such incidents involving container ships, it added.

Citing the proactive role of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard in ensuring the safety of life at sea, the statement said India called for urgent enhancements in the safety framework for container shipping.

"The Indian statement underscored the need to reinforce international protocols related to packaging, declaration, stowage, and monitoring of lithium-ion batteries and IMDG cargo," it noted.

According to the statement, India proposed the establishment of IMO-led investigations into such incidents to help build global best practices, improve standardisation, and strengthen operational norms that ensure the safety and security of container ship operations across the world.

India proudly shared the remarkable achievement of a 650 per cent increase in the number of Indian women seafarers, showcasing the country's commitment to creating equal opportunities in the maritime sector.

The country has witnessed serious maritime incidents along its coastline that exposed vulnerabilities in the current emergency response framework.

The sinking of the container ship MSC ELSA 3 in May 2025 and the major fire and explosion of the container ship WAN HAI 503 in June 2025, off the coast of Kerala, led to the loss of several containers in the waters and the release of hazardous cargo and significant environmental risk.