Towline connected to ship on fire, chance for BLEVE explosion

The Hindu

a day ago

Two days after the ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire off the coast of Kerala between the Beypore and Azhikkal ports on Monday, the Indian Coast Guard and the MERC Salvage Master—a Marine Emergency Response Centre and a subsidiary of Vishwakarma of Gujarat—could connect a towline to the burning ship, a significant achievement considering the effort different agencies made in the past two days. The MERC men landed on the ship in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) helicopter by Wednesday afternoon.
According to sources, the initial plan was to tow the ship to a safer region in the central Arabian Sea away from the coastline of different geographical regions surrounding the sea and from the international shipping channel. The team had also toyed with the idea of bringing the ship to New Mangalore Port if the fire was contained. However, the fire, which was brought under control last night in the forward bay with approximately 40% of the blaze suppressed, was still raging on Thursday, and the vessel was afloat, emitting thick smoke.
Fallen containers
Sekhar Kuriakose, member secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, told The Hindu that as per the warning of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), the fallen containers of the ship may drift towards the coastal stretch between Kozhikode and Thrissur in Kerala and parts of south Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the next couple of days. There would be slight changes in the landing of containers as the ship was still adrift in the sea, changing its location from the earlier forecast location.
Meanwhile, the authorities have been keenly watching the developments in the ship, as there are chances for a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) explosion. As the fire is raging near the fuel tank of the ship, the liquid fuel may evaporate, and the vapour, which is more dangerous especially due to the high temperature present, could lead to a catastrophic explosion.
However, no structural compromise to the ship has been reported other than it listing on one side by around 15% on Wednesday night. The vessel drifting in the south-southeasterly direction at approximately 1 knot has approximately 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel oil in tanks located adjacent to the fire zone. The drifting containers also remain a concern for the authorities though the vessel is drifting away from the Indian coast.
Firefighting specialists
Meanwhile, international firefighting specialists from Spain, the U.K., and the Netherlands identified by the salvors will be deployed for the firefighting operation subject to visa clearance within the next 72 hours, according to a situation report released by government agencies. Firefighting and boundary cooling operations, led by the ICG, Indian Navy, Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), and ship salvage partners are going on in the forward bays where the fire originated.
65 nautical miles off coast
As per the last update, the vessel is located about 65 nautical miles off the Indian coastline, beyond the 1,000-metre depth contour. As per the owners, the ship was carrying a total of 1,754 containers onboard, with 1,083 containers under deck and 671 containers on deck, out of which 143 were carrying highly dangerous cargo.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has sent a team to support the Indian authorities in the rescue and investigation efforts. The adverse weather conditions have slowed down the operations of the Indian Navy and the ICG.
Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. However, four crew members—two from Taiwan, one from Indonesia, and one from Myanmar—remain missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, supported by multiple Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels and aircraft.
Of the five injured members of the crew undergoing treatment in Mangaluru, a Chinese national has been discharged, while two others are still in the intensive care unit.
High alert
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has issued a high alert in its coastal areas and advised fishermen not to venture near the site. Water samples and sediments are being collected from coastal waters and tested to assess any environmental impact.
(With inputs from Kozhikode bureau)