ICG, Navy Achieve Milestone In MV Wan Hai 503 Ops, Tow Burning Vessel Away From Indian Coast
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The Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire in the Arabian Sea, about 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore in Kerala.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully enabled the towing of the fire-stricken Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, in a major milestone in ongoing efforts to control the blaze and protect the marine environment.
The Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 has caught fire in the Arabian Sea, about 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore in Kerala.
'Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV Wah Hai 503 and protect the marine environment! India Coast Guard ships undertaking firefighting operations enabled the tow connection of the Salvage vessel in an extremely challenging and daunting operation," Indian Coast Guard said on X.
'HQSNC tasked the Indian Navy helicopter to winch down salvors who shifted the tow from ICG ships to Salvage Tugs. The tow has now commenced, and the vessel is being pulled to keep away from our coast! ICG fire fighting operation continues," it added.
The vessel was carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, which also included hazardous cargo. This posed a risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes.
The Indian Coast Guard's round-the-clock efforts, despite rough sea conditions, have successfully kept the vessel safely away from the coast, reducing the risk of an oil spill or other marine disasters.
Earlier on Thursday, the ICG and the Indian Navy conducted a high-level Synergy Meeting in the national capital. The meeting was co-chaired by the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) [ACNA (Air)] and the Deputy Director General (Aviation) [DDG (AV)] of the ICG.
Officials discussed key areas like training programs, flight safety measures, and plans to acquire new assets in order to strengthen India's maritime aviation capabilities.
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 12:06 IST
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