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4 missing, 5 injured after fire breaks out on Singapore-flagged ship off Kerala coast

4 missing, 5 injured after fire breaks out on Singapore-flagged ship off Kerala coast

Time of India3 days ago

KOCHI: At least four crew members are missing and five others injured after a fire broke out aboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala on Monday, a Defence PRO said.
The incident occurred on the MV Wan Hai 503, which was initially reported to have suffered an explosion. However, officials later confirmed that it was an underdeck fire.
The Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai reported the fire to its Kochi counterpart around 10:30 am.
The 270-metre-long vessel, with a draught of 12.5 metres, had departed from Colombo on June 7 and was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on June 10.
"On 09 Jun 25, at about 1030 h, MOC (Koc) received an information from MOC (Mbi) about a reported underdeck fire onboard MV Wan Hai 503.
The vessel is a Singapore Flag Container ship, 270 m long and draught 12.5m with LPC Colombo. The vessel departed Colombo on 07 Jun 25 with NPC Mumbai, 10 Jun," the communication from the PRO read.
He said that in response, the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, which had been scheduled to dock in Kochi, to provide immediate assistance.
The vessel's course was altered at 11 am following instructions from the Western Naval Command.
Additionally, preparations are under way to deploy a Navy Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda naval air station in Kochi to evaluate conditions and manage support operations.

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Fire in container ship off Kerala contained considerably, inner decks still burn
Fire in container ship off Kerala contained considerably, inner decks still burn

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Fire in container ship off Kerala contained considerably, inner decks still burn

After three days of sustained firefighting, the Coast Guard said the massive blaze on the Singapore-flagged vessel M V Wan Hai-503 has been considerably contained. The Coast Guard said its ship deployed a three-member team comprising divers and salvors in a Chetak helicopter to the deck of the vessel. It said they successfully secured the towing hawser (a rope or cable used to tow vessels) on the ship, connecting it to the Coast Guard ship Samudra Prahari, which now contains its movement. This prevents the ill-fated container ship from drifting to the coast. Once two or three tow lines are placed, it will be handed over to tug boats, which will pull the vessel away from the coast. The Coast Guard said the salvors were from the Marine Emergency Response Centre of Vishwakarma Mechanical Works, Gujarat. 'The container vessel continues to drift approximately 42 nautical miles off Beypore in Kerala within the exclusive economic zone of the country. The ship, which is carrying 2,128 MT of fuel and hazardous cargo, still poses an environmental risk. The Coast Guard, with air and sea assets, has largely contained the fire. Inner decks still burn. Salvors winched onboard to aid towing. Unfavourable seas persist. Focus remains on extinguishing the blaze and preventing a marine disaster,'' the Coast Guard posted on X. Kerala Disaster Management Authority member Secretary Shekhar Kuriakose said securing the towing hawser on a burning ship is 'a significant achievement.' Four Coast Guard ships — Samudra Prahari, Sachet, Vikram, and Samarth — with helicopters, are positioned around the vessel for firefighting and coordinating pollution response in case of any oil or chemical spill. Residual smoke is still visible from the distressed vessel. Ships Arnvesh, Rajdoot and Kasturba Gandhi are undertaking search operations for the 4 missing crew of the vessel. An official communication said, about 24 containers had fallen off the vessel and are likely floating or have sunk. The Single Point Mooring owned by Bharat Petroleum has been asked to keep a close watch to deflect any floating containers to prevent damage to the installation.

ICG intensifies operations as burning container vessel drifts off Kerala Coast
ICG intensifies operations as burning container vessel drifts off Kerala Coast

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time5 hours ago

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ICG intensifies operations as burning container vessel drifts off Kerala Coast

Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 11 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday 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)

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