Taiwan lauds Indian Navy, Coast Guard for rescuing Wan Hai 503 crew
The Taiwan Government has expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard for their swift rescue operation involving the merchant vessel Wan Hai 503.
In a post on X, Taiwan in India stated, 'The Taiwan Government is grateful for the swift rescue operation provided by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to Wan Hai 503. We wish the missing crew members return safe and the injured recover soon.'
The appreciation comes as the Indian Coast Guard is continuously working to combat the fire that engulfed the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503.
It said attempts were being made to control the vessel fire that injured several crew members. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy, while four are still missing.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of 5:00 PM on Tuesday, the flames on the container ship were reduced, as thick smoke continued to emanate.
"Indian Coast Guard ships continue to fight the fire and attempt to bring the inferno on the container ship MV WAN HAI 503 under control off the Kerala coast. Visible flames have reduced, and thick smoke continues to emanate as of 1700 hours today," the Indian Coast Guard said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Yu Jing on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue of its crew members onboard the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which encountered an onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Kerala's Azhikkal.
According to Yu Jing, Chinese and Taiwanese crew members were among those onboard MV Wan Hai. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson wished for successful search operations and speedy recovery for injured crew members.
"On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered an onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy @indiannavy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue. We wish further search operations successful and the injured crew members a speedy recovery," Yu Jing posted on X.
Four crew members were reported missing and five injured after an explosion under deck was reported onboard MV WAN HAI 503 while it was on passage from Colombo to Nhava Sheva. Indian Coast Guard ships have been deployed for firefighting and rescue operations.
The vessel was carrying containerised cargo and had 22 crew members, including eight Chinese, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese, and three Indonesian nationals. Following the explosion and escalation of the fire, the crew abandoned the ship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
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.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Indian Coast Guard continues firefighting ops on MV WAN HAI 503 despite adverse sea conditions
Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 12 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday continued its relentless firefighting efforts aboard MV WAN HAI 503, despite challenging sea conditions. A specialised team comprising one pilot and two aircrew divers was deployed onboard an Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopter to carry out aerial firefighting operations. During the mission, the team successfully dispersed 1,000 kg of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) directly onto the fire's core. To mitigate environmental risks near the coast, the ICG is maintaining the vessel's position using a towline while closely monitoring the situation. Although the external fire has been extinguished, dense smoke continues to emanate, indicating residual internal heat and possible metallic fire. Firefighting efforts remain ongoing, with all responding assets on high alert to ensure complete containment of the fire. Earlier on Tuesday, the ICG winched five salvage team members and an aircrew diver onto the burning Singaporean container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 to facilitate towing operations. According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, the vessel, which caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9, continues to drift south-east within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), approximately 42 nautical miles from Beypore, Kerala. The vessel is carrying 1.2 lakh metric tons of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, posing a serious risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes. 'Intensive firefighting efforts by ICG have significantly reduced visible flames, with only smoke now seen across the cargo holds and bays. However, the fire remains active in the inner decks and near fuel tanks,' the release stated. 'Five ICG ships, two Dornier aircraft, and a helicopter are engaged in the ongoing firefighting mission, supported by two vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping. A salvage team appointed by the ship's owners is working in coordination with ICG, and the Indian Air Force has been requested for additional aerial support,' it added. With the fire yet to be fully extinguished, efforts to establish a towline and pull the vessel away from the coast are underway to prevent a potential ecological disaster. The situation remains critical and is being monitored continuously. (ANI)
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Owners of sunken ship given 48 hours to complete extraction of oil leaking into sea
Authorities have given the salvors and owners of a vessel that sank last month off the Kerala coast 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act will lead to civil and criminal charges. The Liberian-flagged ship, MSC Elsa 3, sank approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Kerala's Alappuzha district. The notice was issued on Wednesday evening, sources said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kulkas yang belum Terjual dengan Harga Termurah (Lihat harga) Cari Sekarang Undo The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence. The vessel sank on May 24 with oil still trapped inside. Live Events In its latest update, the Directorate General of Shipping said that both state and central government agencies had issued a final notice demanding urgent action. Officials say delays in starting saturation diving--the recommended method for safely removing the oil--have seriously disrupted the operation's timeline. The Director General of Shipping stated that, given the seriousness of the environmental threat and the narrowing operational window due to the approaching monsoon, the salvors and shipowners have now been given a final ultimatum to begin and complete the oil extraction within the next 48 hours. "Failure to comply will result in both civil and criminal liability being imposed under applicable Indian laws, and legal proceedings will be initiated before the competent courts without further notice," it said. Although divers have managed to seal several leak points, minor seepage continues from one tank, raising fears of a larger spill. Divers are working from the vessel SEAMAC III in round-the-clock shifts, but worsening weather due to the incoming monsoon is putting pressure on teams to complete the task swiftly. The dive team has been expanded to speed up the work, and more equipment is being moved in. Officials say completing the sealing and quickly transitioning to oil extraction is now urgent, before rough seas make further diving impossible. "Divers successfully sealed multiple bunker vents and surrounding pipes that were contributing to oil seepage, with no active overflow currently observed. Continuous monitoring is underway for minor seepage detected from the sounding pipe of Fuel Oil Tank No 22," the DG shipping said. "Sounding pipe leaks have been contained using layered sealing (plastic and polyester materials), and an additional loosened cap was tightened and secured to halt minor leakage. Centre Tank No 24 has been confirmed secure; precautionary sealing will be undertaken to eliminate any residual risk," it said. On land, most containers that drifted ashore after the incident have been recovered. Drone surveys are still under way to identify any remaining debris. Cleanup teams and volunteers have collected over 2,500 kilograms of plastic pellets, or nurdles, daily along beaches in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and Thiruvananthapuram. Authorities are arranging temporary storage and final disposal of the recovered nurdles, with help from pollution experts and customs officials. A beach-cleaning vacuum system is being tested and may be deployed soon. Meanwhile, Kerala Police have registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew. An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel--which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property--in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking on 24-25 May near Alappuzha district.
