Latest news with #MVWanHai503
Free Malaysia Today
35 minutes ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Indian navy deploys after Singapore-flagged ship catches fire
The 268m vessel caught fire some 78 nautical miles off Beypore port. (Indian coast guard/AP pic) NEW DELHI : India deployed coast guard aircraft and a warship today after a Singapore-flagged container ship caught fire off the southern coast, the defence ministry said, with four crew members missing. Singapore's maritime and port authority (MPA) said in a statement that there were 'some injuries' among the crew, with four members unaccounted for. Photographs taken by a coast guard plane showed a thick plume of billowing black smoke and containers that had seemingly been hurled up by a powerful explosion on board. 'Fire incident reported onboard Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503,' India's defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it had diverted a destroyer to aid the stricken ship. It said the 268m vessel caught fire some 78 nautical miles off Beypore port. Singapore's MPA said that, of the total crew of 22, 18 had been 'accounted for and are in the process of being transferred from lifeboats to a passing vessel', adding that 'some injuries have been reported among them'. It said four crew members remain unaccounted for. 'The Indian coast guard and Indian navy are rendering assistance to the crew and conducting search and rescue operations for the missing crew,' the MPA said. A Liberian-flagged container ship with hazardous cargo sank off the coast of Kerala in southern India last month. The Indian navy rescued all 24 crew members.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Explosion in cargo ship off Kerala coast; four crew members missing
An explosion and a subsequent fire was reported onboard a cargo vessel off the Kerala coast on Monday, officials aware of the matter said, adding that four crew members of the ship were missing even as the Navy and Coast Guard rescued 18 others. According to a release by the Coast Guard, the fire broke out onboard the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 following a container explosion at 9.20am, around 44 nautical miles (81km) off the coast in Azhikkal in Kozhikode district. 'The fire rapidly engulfed the midsection of the vessel, which is currently adrift,' the release said. 'Preliminary reports suggest that 10-15 containers have fallen overboard.' Of the 22 crew members –– all foreign nationals from China, Myanmar, Indonesia and Taiwan–– onboard, 18 were rescued while four others were reported missing, a defence official said on condition of anonymity said, adding that three of the rescued crew members sustained severe injuries. 'Indian Navy in a closely coordinated Search And Rescue operation with the Coast Guard, DG Shipping and other stakeholders, has safely rescued 18 out of 22 crew members Singaporean Flagged MV Wan Hai 503. The MV had reported internal container explosion and resultant major fire onboard,' the Indian Navy said in a statement. The 270m-long vessel, which departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 7, was en route to the Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai when the incident took place. A search and rescue operation is underway, with the Coast Guard mobilising multiple assets to assist in dousing the blaze and rescuing the crew. 'The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) initiated an immediate response, deploying two Dornier aircraft equipped with life rafts for aerial surveillance and situational assessment. Five ICG ships, including specialised firefighting and pollution response vessels, have been mobilised to the incident site,' the Coast Guard's release said. An official at the Azhikkal Port confirmed that vessel's cargo contained dangerous cargo, including flammable solids, liquids and toxic substances. 'There are four types of dangerous goods aboard of classes 3, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1. Class 3 dangerous goods include flammable liquids. Class 4.1 includes flammable solids. Class 4.2 includes goods that are prone to spontaneous combustion. Class 6 has goods that are mainly classified as toxic,' Captain Arun Kumar told reporters. 'Vessel is still emitting dense smoke, raising fears of secondary explosions,' the Coast Guard said in a post on X later in the evening. 'The situation remains critical. All efforts are being made to stabilize the vessel and ensure the safety of remaining crew members and #MarineEnvironment. Further updates will follow.'
Scroll.in
2 hours ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Cargo ship catches fire off Kerala coast, 4 missing
A Singapore-flagged container ship on its way to Navi Mumbai caught fire off the coast of Kerala on Monday, the Indian Coast Guard said. While four of the ship's 22 crew members were missing, the remaining had been rescued, it added. A search operation was underway to rescue the missing persons. The 18 members of the crew had reportedly jumped into the sea and used emergency rafts to escape the fire that broke out in the middle portion of the ship MV Wan Hai 503, The Hindu quoted officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority as saying. The rescued crew was taken to Mangaluru in Karnataka for treatment, OnManorama reported. The incident cook place when the vessel was off the coast of Beypore port, the news outlet reported. The Indian Coast Guard said that the ship was 130 nautical miles north-west of Kochi. There were reportedly more than 650 containers, including 150 containing hazardous materials, in the cargo vessel, The Hindu reported. Twenty containers had fallen into the sea after several explosions and fire on board. A container explosion had triggered the fire, OnManorama reported. The ship remained adrift and continued to emit smoke as of Monday night. Five coast guard ships and an aircraft were dispatched to rescue the crew and for surveillance, The Hindu quoted officials from the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre in Kochi as saying. The vessel had departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on Saturday and was expected to reach Mumbai on Tuesday. Singaporean High Commissioner Simon Wong said on social media: 'Professional and rapid response of the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. Praying that remaining crew are found soon.' While two of the four missing persons are Taiwanese citizens, one is from Indonesia and another from Myanmar. The ship's owners have been requested to assess and report the nature of the cargo in the affected hold to ascertain the presence of hazardous material. No information has been yet received on whether dangerous goods were involved in the explosion, The Indian Express reported. This came two weeks after a Liberian-flagged container vessel carrying 'hazardous cargo' sank off the coast of Kochi on May 25 after it began gradually tilting a day earlier. All 24 crew members on board the vessel were rescued. On May 29, the Kerala government declared the wreckage of the container ship a state-specific disaster. It was carrying 13 containers with hazardous cargo and 12 of calcium carbide.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Seawater testing underway along Kannur coast amid fears of contamination
KANNUR: In the aftermath of cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 catching fire off the Kerala coast, seawater samples are being collected and tested along the coastal regions of Kannur district amid fears of chemical contamination. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board is leading the operation following reports that several containers, potentially carrying hazardous materials, may have fallen into the Arabian Sea. Preliminary data indicates that 157 of the ship's containers contained dangerous substances, including acid, lithium batteries, turpentine, and even gunpowder – all highly flammable and environmentally hazardous. 'Immediate water sampling has been initiated from Payyambalam Beach, Vadakara, Azhikkal, and surrounding coastal areas,' said a senior Pollution Control Board officer. 'We are treating this as a serious environmental risk,' he said. An official at Azhikkal Port, just 44 nautical miles from the accident site, confirmed receiving alerts regarding four categories of dangerous goods on board. 'Some of these chemicals are known to ignite spontaneously under certain conditions,' the official said. Residents and local fishing communities have also expressed anxiety over the possible impact on marine life and water safety. Authorities assure that public health will be prioritised as testing and containment measures continue in full swing.
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- General
- India Gazette
"Of six, two are critically injured with burns": Rescuees from Singapore container ship rushed to hospital in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 10 (ANI): Of the 18 rescued crew members of the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503, six were brought to the AJ Hospital for medical treatment post-midnight on Tuesday. Dinesh Kadam, Plastic Surgeon at AJ Hospital, said that two rescuees had critical injuries with 35 to 40 per cent burns. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Surat, carrying the rescued crew members who sustained injuries in the vessel fire, arrived at the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), Panambur, earlier. According to Plastic Surgeon Kadam, the six rescuees are from multiple nationalities, including Chinese and Indonesian. Of the six rescued crew members, two have suffered critical injuries. 'We have received six patients. All of them have burns. Three are Chinese nationals, two are from Burma (Myanmar), and one is from Indonesia. Two are critically injured with 35-40 per cent burns. Mainly, they have airway burns, that is, respiratory burns, which are much more severe. They have breathing problems. We have to monitor closely over a few days and see how they do. Right now, we're giving all the attention and critical care,' Kadam told reporters here. The Indian Navy, in a closely coordinated search and rescue operation with the Coast Guard, DG Shipping, and other stakeholders, safely rescued 18 out of 22 crew members of the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 after a fire broke out. 'The inputs of the incident were received at IFC IOR at about 0930 hours on June 9. INS Surat and a Dornier aircraft were immediately deployed by the Indian Navy to render necessary assistance, and at about 1630 hours, 18 out of 22 crew members were safely rescued by Surat. First aid has been rendered to the injured crew members, and the ship is presently proceeding to New Mangalore for disembarkation and further medical management,' the Navy said in a statement. According to the Indian Navy, the vessel was carrying 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. '18 crew members have been rescued, while four remain missing. A search and rescue operation is currently underway,' it said. The MV had reported an internal container explosion and a resultant major fire onboard. The incident occurred at around 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi. According to a release, preliminary reports suggest that 10-15 containers have fallen overboard. The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, with an expected time of arrival (ETA) on 10 June. (ANI)
