Fire, explosions persist aboard cargo ship off Kerala coast; Salvage ops underway
Indian Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet are carrying out firefighting and boundary cooling operations at sea to prevent the flames from spreading further.
The forward bay fire has been brought under control, but thick smoke continues to rise from the vessel, MV Wan Hai 503. The ship is listing approximately 10 to 15 degrees to port, and more containers have reportedly fallen overboard, they said.
Kochi, Jun 10 (PTI) Fires and explosions continue to rock the Singapore-flagged container vessel off the Kerala coast, with flames reported from the mid-ship area and container bay just ahead of the accommodation block, Indian Coast Guard officials said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard vessel Samarth, carrying a team of salvors, is being deployed from Kochi to support ongoing efforts.
Earlier, a Defence PRO said the Indian Navy ship INS Surat disembarked the 18-member crew of the container vessel, which caught fire on Monday morning, as coordinated firefighting operations continued through the night.
The crew were disembarked at Mangalore Port at 11.30 p m on Monday.
Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari remained engaged in firefighting efforts overnight, he said.
Meanwhile, a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft took off on Tuesday morning to conduct an aerial survey of the incident site.
Officials said Coast Guard vessel Samarth is set to sail out on Tuesday morning, carrying a salvage master to the location of the incident.
The major fire broke out on board the Singapore-flagged ship after a container explosion. Eighteen crew members were rescued, while four remain missing.
The incident occurred at approximately 9.20 am IST, around 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal in Kannur district of Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi. PTI TGB TGB ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Blaze, explosions continue on cargo vessel; oil advisory issued
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India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Indian Coast Guard working to combat fire on Singapore-flagged container ship
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Fire continues, more containers fall from Singapore-flagged vessel
Kochi: Fire continued onboard the Singapore-flagged vessel MV Wan Hai 503 on Tuesday, even as Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships persisted in efforts to douse the blaze. The intensity of the fire reduced by Tuesday evening, but the density of the smoke has since increased, said an official source. The vessel, adrift 44 nautical miles off the Azhikkal coast, has listed approximately 10 to 15 degrees to port and more containers have reportedly fallen overboard, ICG said. While 18 crew members were rescued and brought to Mangaluru late Monday, four remain unaccounted for. The crew included eight Chinese, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese and three Indonesian nationals. Among the rescued, two are reported to be in critical condition, while four sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Yu Jing expressed gratitude to Indian Navy and Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue of the crew members. The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, when it encountered an onboard explosion on Monday. According to its cargo manifest, the ship is carrying "dangerous" cargo as per International Maritime Organisation (IMO) classification in as many as 157 containers, which include flammable, spontaneously combustible substances and toxic chemicals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo Fire and explosions have continued from the midship area to the container bay ahead of the accommodation block. The fire in the forward bay is under control, though thick smoke remains, ICG said. ICG ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet have been conducting firefighting and boundary cooling operations since Monday. ICG ship Samarth, along with salvors, joined the efforts on Tuesday. Official sources said the three vessels would continue operations overnight, while a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft is conducting aerial surveillance. Indian Navy's INS Sutlej, which joined the search and rescue efforts on Monday, proceeded on Tuesday to conduct survey operations of the Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3, which sank off Thottappally in Alappuzha on May 25. A high-level virtual meeting of various stakeholders was convened to assess the situation. Representatives from the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, shipowners, salvors, Kerala Maritime Board, State Pollution Control Board and State Disaster Management Authority participated in the meeting. "Similar meetings have been held every other day since the sinking of MSC Elsa 3. Tuesday's meeting reviewed the fire on MV Wan Hai 503. 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," said an official source. Kerala Maritime Board chairman N S Pillai said that the state govt currently has no major role other than to facilitate ongoing efforts. The govt's role would primarily involve mitigating the impact of the fallen containers, which may reach the shore, cause pollution and affect the fisherfolk. (With agency inputs)
