“Around 40 per cent of the fire has now been brought under control. The vessel remains afloat but unmanned and is slowly drifting southeast in the Arabian Sea,” according to updates shared by the Director General of Shipping.
Kochi/Mumbai: Indian Coast Guard and other agencies are working around the clock to contain a large fire aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire earlier this week after a container exploded off Kerala coast while en route to Mumbai from Colombo.
“Around 40 per cent of the fire has now been brought under control. The vessel remains afloat but unmanned and is slowly drifting southeast in the Arabian Sea,” according to updates shared by the Director General of Shipping.
In a major step forward, a team of salvage experts and Coast Guard divers managed to board the vessel.
This included the Salvage Master, who is now monitoring the situation from onboard.
Efforts now focus on keeping the vessel away from the coast and fully extinguishing the fire, the authorities said.
The firefighting efforts, focused on the ship’s forward cargo holds, are being led by Indian Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Samarth.
They are using foam and boundary cooling to stop the fire from spreading.
“Hydrocarbon vapours have been observed by the salvage master, indicating possible heat transfer near fuel tanks. Continuous onboard assessments are being conducted to monitor any escalation,” the DG Shipping said.
At the same time, Rajdoot, Arnvesh, Abhinav, and ICGS 513 are carrying out search and rescue operations in the area. Of the 22 crew members on board the vessel, 18 were rescued while four remain missing.
After an earlier attempt failed, a tow connection was successfully made between the cargo ship and the Emergency Towing Vessel Water Lily, as well as a Coast Guard asset.
This was achieved through joint efforts by the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) and ICG personnel.
Authorities say there is still risk due to hazardous cargo and hydrocarbon vapours near the fuel tanks.
However, officials from the Directorate General of Shipping say stabilisation work is ongoing, and daily meetings are being held with all involved, including the Indian Navy, maritime agencies, and the ship’s owners.
The Coast Guard also flew in five team members– including three salvage experts and two rescue divers –to support the operation.
Extra firefighting supplies, including more foam and dry chemical powder, are being sent in to assist the crew battling the blaze, officials said.