Ship on fire: salvage operation delayed as salvor's vessel runs out of fuel
Even as the authorities have been struggling to contain the raging fire onboard the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9, the vessel, Offshore Warrior, deployed by the owners of the ship to mitigate the imminent danger of a possible explosion had to leave the site of the accident after running short of fuel, delaying the entire emergency response operations.
In a letter addressed to Wan Hai International Pvt Ltd, Singapore, on Wednesday, Director General of Shipping (DGS) Shyam Jagannatan said the vessel, Offshore Warrior, did not have adequate fuel onboard to continue the operation and had departed for Kochi for refuelling.
The letter said while it was understood that the salvors (T&T Salvage) appointed by the owners of the ship might have positioned the vessel at the accident site to secure the salvage contract, the concealment of critical operational information was entirely unacceptable.
Though the Indian Coast Guard had successfully managed to connect a towline to the burning vessel, the absence of Offshore Warrior was expected to delay the towing of MV Wan Hai 503 away from the Indian coast, which could have serious implications given the prevailing conditions, the DGS noted. Further, it was observed that Offshore Warrior that was positioned at the seat of the fire had limited firefighting capability and lacked foam to contain the spread of fire, making the vessel unsuitable for effectively addressing the rapidly evolving and critical situation, he said.
Serious concerns
Despite the severity of the incident, no firefighting assets or tugs had been deployed, no equipment had reached the site and necessary salvage assets still remained absent. The response initiated by the owners and salvors to mitigate the imminent danger raised serious concerns.
Stressing the need to immediately deploy suitable firefighting and salvage equipment, trained personnel, and support assets by the vessel owners and their appointed salvors, the DGS made it clear that any further delay in the process was an unacceptable risk to human life, the marine environment, and navigation safety. The Shipping Directorate would not hesitate to initiate criminal liability proceedings and other punitive measures against the parties concerned as they were responsible for launching effective measures. The owners, salvors, and other personnel concerned would be held responsible under applicable legal provisions for failure to take prompt and appropriate action in a maritime casualty, he said.
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