Firefighting efforts intensify aboard Singapore vessel after explosion off Kerala coast
The firefighting efforts, focused on the ship's forward cargo holds, are being led by Indian Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Samarth.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
A ship is burning bright near Kerala day and night with fuel and fear aboard
Oil spill advisories, slight tilt in the ship, risk of ship sinking, containers falling into the sea - a lot has happened since an explosion and a massive fire broke out below the deck of a Singapore-flagged vessel , M.V. Wan Hai 503, on June 9. The ship was sailing nearly 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast near Kozhikode on Monday. The sailing fire has raised several environmental concerns as the ship continues to emit thick smoke. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its efforts to control the fire until Thursday, June 12, as reported. The vessel remains unmanned and adrift, 65 nautical miles from Kozhikode, Kerala, as on Thursday. Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet, carrying out firefighting operations over MV Wan Hai 503 , are still in the process of completely combating the fire and smoke. The Coast Guard team has deployed numerous measures to control the fire, rescue officers on-board and site surveillance. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an advisory to warn of a potential oil spill. The government ministry has also issued an advisory warning of drifting containers as several containers fell from the ship due to the explosion. Reportedly, 10 to 15 of the fallen containers were spotted adrift on a course toward the Kerala coast. The ship was carrying hazardous substances , including solids that can spontaneously combust, flammable liquids and solids, and substances harmful to human health. Hence, the firefighting operations require caution and expert advice. The contents of the ship raise concerns about ocean water contamination, possibility of an explosion, and harm to marine life. There is a high probability that the containers and debris that went overboard from the vessel Wan Hai 503 may drift south-southeastwards from the accident location may beach Thalassery and Kochi in the next 4 – 5 days, said INCOIS on Thursday. The containers containing hazardous substances are likely to continue to drift in the ocean for the next 4-5 days and might take longer to beach. A few containers are at the risk of beaching between Kozhikode and Kochi. Live Events Some units are likely to sink to the seabed depending on their contents. This would pose further risk to marine life as the containers, along with their contents will spread hazardous substances deep inside the ocean water. INCIOS suggested that local authorities should increase surveillance and issue precautions as a preparatory measure for potential marine hazards such as navigational obstructions or shoreline contamination. The fire raises a threat of explosion because the ship tank contains approximately 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel, adjacent to the fire zone. This also poses a high risk of fire escalation. The ship has tilted approximately 10 to 15 degrees to its left, as stated by the Indian Coast Guard. The ship's tilt makes room for possibilities of the vessel to sink along with dangerous cargo, which will have adverse effects on marine life at a large scale. The listing of the ship is a major challenge for the rescuers. 'We can't say anything about the future of the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard the ship only after dousing the fire. However, we are hopeful that the fire could be contained,' a senior Union Shipping Ministry source told The Hindu. 'The vessels of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are doing their level best, but a positive outcome is highly unlikely as the fire continues to rage and spread. Since there are containers drifting around the vessel, firefighting vessels are struggling to pump water from a close range. At the same time, there are flammable substances in the containers,' an official source told TOI. ICG posted an update about MV Wan Hai 503 on Thursday, stating that firefighting operations have significantly reduced the blaze onboard. While conducting joint efforts with Indian Armed Forces, a massive amount of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) has been air-dropped for fire control. IAF has dropped 4000 kg of DCP for controlling metal fire. However, amid several warnings, no oil spills and sheens have been reported so far. The vessel is held safely away from the coast. The firefighting operations are still underway by seven ICG ships alongside boundary cooling. The weather conditions continue to be adverse in the west Sea as ICG runs firefighting operations 24x7.
New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Coast Guard starts towing burning cargo ship off Kerala coast
KOCHI: With the fire subsiding, the Indian Coast Guard started efforts to drag MV Wan Hai 503, which has been burning for the past four days, deep into the sea on Thursday. An MI-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force took off from Kozhikode on Thursday and dropped 2,600kg of fire retardant dry chemical powder on the vessel deck. According to agencies involved in the operation, the fire on the deck has subsided, but smoke is rising from the cargo hold, indicating fire under the deck. 'Once the fire is completely doused, T & T Salvage, the salvage team appointed by the owner of the Singapore-flagged ship, will take over the vessel and tow it away from the Indian waters. Currently, the Coast Guard is holding the towline and slowly moving the ship into the deep sea. The DG Shipping has sent reinforcement from Mumbai which is on the way. The slavers have been told to arrange their own tugs to continue the operation,' said a senior officer. An officer said the salvage team has been supporting the the Coast Guard to douse the fire. Five ships – ICGS Samarth, Saksham, Samudra Prahari, Sachet and Vikram – are involved in the fire fighting and boundary cooling operations. Meanwhile, the search for the four missing crew members is on. The tug Ocean Warrier has returned to the shore due to some technical snag and another tug is being arranged. Additionally, the salvage team has started the hot tapping process to remove the oil from the bunkers of MSC Elsa 3 on Thursday afternoon. The team had plugged three leaks in the bunkers by Thursday morning and is hopeful of removing the oil within three days.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
Fire reported in container of Singapore-flagged vessel, under control
A fire was reported in a container of MV Interasia Tenacity, the Singapore-flagged container vessel, on Thursday morning while the vessel was sailing towards the Nhava Sheva port, near Mumbai, prompting the crew to seek assistance from the Indian Coast Guard, official sources said here. The vessel was carrying 1,387 containers with 21 Filipino crew. It departed from Port Klang in Malaysia on June 8 and was scheduled to reach Nhava Sheva late on Friday night.. The fire was reported at 8.40 a.m. in a single container stored on the deck. Upon receiving the distress call over marine radio, the Coast Guard diverted an offshore patrol vessel ICGS Sachet for firefighting and also did aerial surveillance of the vessel. Subsequently, the vessel's master intimated that the fire was under control and that no further assistance was required. 'The situation is stable and the vessel is continuing its passage to Nhava Sheva under close watch of the Coast Guard and Indian Navy,' a Defence source said. The incident occurred off the Kerala coast three days after another Singapore-flagged container vessel caught fire following an explosion off the coast of the southern State.
