The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and other emergency responders are battling to get a blaze under control onboard MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that caught fire 44 nautical miles off the Azhikkal coast in Kerala.
India’s Ministry of Defence reports that the 269m (890ft) ship is carrying 2,128 metric tons of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, ‘posing a serious risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes’.
MV Wan Hai 503 experienced an explosion and subsequent fire while sailing from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Nhava Sheva, India, on 9 June. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were successfully rescued, while four remain missing.
India’s ministry of defence said in a statement: ‘With the fire yet to be fully extinguished, efforts to establish a towline and pull the vessel away from the coast are underway to prevent a potential ecological disaster. The situation remains critical and is being monitored continuously.’
As of 12 June, five ICG ships, two Dornier aircraft, and a helicopter were engaged in the ongoing firefighting mission, supported by two vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping.
The ICG has winched five salvage team members and an aircrew diver onto the burning container vessel to facilitate towing operations. Yesterday (12 June) a helicopter dispersed 2,600kg of dry chemical powder over the flames.
Battling challenging sea conditions, India’s Ministry of Defence reports that situation on the MV Wan Hai 503 “remains critical”.
While operations by ICG have significantly reduced visible flames – with only smoke now seen across the cargo holds and bays – the fire remains active in the inner decks and near fuel tanks.
A salvage team appointed by the ship’s owners is working in coordination with ICG.
Currently, MV Wan Hai 503 continues to drift south-east within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), approximately 42 nautical miles from Beypore, Kerala.
Earlier this month, another cargo ship caught fire off the coast of Alaska.