Fire Contained on Singapore-Flagged Cargo Ship: Indian Coast Guard Updates

Fire Incident on MV Wan Hai 503

New Delhi: A fire that broke out on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, MV Wan Hai 503, on June 9 due to a container explosion off the coast of Kerala has been 'largely contained', according to officials from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The ICG spokesperson reported that 11 ships are currently engaged in firefighting efforts on the vessel.

The incident occurred around 9:20 AM IST on June 9, approximately 44 nautical miles from Azhikkal in Kannur district and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi.

Earlier, Comdt Amit Uniyal from the ICG informed that eight ships, including Sachet, Samarth, and Saksham, were involved in the firefighting operations.

By evening, he confirmed that while the fire was 'largely contained', three additional ships had joined the operation, bringing the total to 11.

An offshore patrol vessel from the ICG is also conducting mid-sea refueling for a salvage tug to maintain towing operations.

On Friday, the ICG announced a 'major milestone' in their efforts to control the fire, as towing operations began to move the ship away from the coastline.

Firefighting efforts continued on Saturday, with ongoing boundary cooling measures in place.

The Indian Navy provided details about a 'daring aerial insertion' of a salvage team onto the vessel the previous day.

A Navy spokesperson stated that the salvage team was deployed via a Seaking helicopter from INS Garuda in Kochi, successfully landing on the ship despite adverse weather and fire conditions.

After establishing a tow connection with the salvage tug Offshore Warrior, the team was safely extracted by the naval helicopter.

Currently, the Indian Navy's INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively participating in the salvage operation alongside the ICG and other maritime agencies.

This rapid deployment of the salvage team by the Navy has greatly enhanced the rescue efforts.

Of the 22 crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel, 18 were rescued by the Navy, ICG, and other agencies on June 9.

The crew comprises eight Chinese, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese, and three Indonesian nationals, as stated by the ICG.