MV Wan Hai catches fire (Photo: Indian Coast Guard)
New Delhi: A major fire onboard Singapore-flagged merchant vessel Wan Hai broke out after an internal explosion reported off the coast of Kerala in Kerala on Monday. Of the 22 crew onboard the MV Wan Hai 503, 18 abandoned the vessel with assistance from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard while four are missing, Indian Coast Guard PRO Commandant Amit Uniyal said.
The incident occurred at approximately 0920 hours IST, around 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi.
Indian Coast Guard in close coordination with the Indian Navy launched a search and rescue operation for the missing individuals. The search operation was initiated after they received inputs of the incident from IFC IOR at about 0930 hour on Monday.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, activated the International Safety Net (ISN), prompting nearby merchant vessels MV Ambra and MV One Marvel to divert and assist in the rescue effort. The distress alert was initially relayed by MV Cape Valencia to MRCC Mumbai.
Indian Navy pressed in its warship INS Surat and a Dornier aircraft to render necessary assistance, and at about 1630 hour. 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 fire-fighting and pollution response vessels, have been mobilised to the incident site. Two of the four missing are nationals of Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar, Uniyal said.
Indian Navy deploys INS Surat to render assistance (Photo: Indian Navy)
The container ship was enroute from Colombo in Sri Lanka to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, with an expected time of arrival (ETA) on Tuesday.
“The fire rapidly engulfed the midsection of the vessel, which is currently adrift. Preliminary reports suggest that 10-15 containers have fallen overboard.”
Of the 22 crew members, 08 were Chinese, 06 Taiwanese, 05 Myanmarese, and 03 Indonesian nationals.
“The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations.”
“A number of ships have also been sent to help put out the fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala.”
“The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,” said Uniyal. “Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coast guard.”
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 vessel continues to emit dense smoke, and the onboard fire poses a risk of further explosions and structural failure. Maritime traffic in the area has been advised to maintain a safe distance from the vessel.
“The Flag Administration of Singapore has been formally notified.”
“The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), India, has instructed the ship’s owners to immediately engage qualified salvors and fire-fighting experts.”
“Preliminary contact has been established with SMIT Salvage for specialized support. Owners have also been directed to provide an urgent assessment and disclosure of the nature of cargo in the affected containers.”
“The DGS remains in continuous coordination with all stakeholders, including the ship management team, to ensure a unified emergency response. Owners have been instructed to provide two-hourly updates until the situation is stabilised. Saving lives and containing the fire remain the highest priorities.”
