India’s coast guard battles blaze on Singapore-flagged container ship

NEW DELHI - The Indian Coast Guard said on June 10 that it was battling to stop a fierce blaze that has engulfed a Singapore-flagged container ship listing off the southern coast that broke out a day earlier.

The 268m container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 carrying 22 crew members

caught fire about 78 nautical miles off India’s Beypore Port on June 9

.

A total of 18 crew members were rescued by India’s coast guard and navy, with four still missing.

In a media statement on June 10, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the 18 rescued had safely arrived at New Mangalore Port, with six injured among them transferred to a shore medical facility. The port is located in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Three have since been discharged, MPA said, adding that search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the four missing crew members.

Two additional firefighting vessels deployed by Indian authorities and the vessel’s owner are also scheduled to arrive at the site in the evening of June 10 to support the ongoing response.

MPA said it has been working with the vessel’s classification society and Indian authorities to provide technical information to support ongoing efforts to stabilise the situation and manage the fire.

This includes information to assess the fire conditions onboard, guide how to contain the fire and monitor the vessel’s stability.

“MPA is monitoring the situation in close coordination with the Indian authorities, including supporting the assessment of the vessel’s structural integrity and the potential for environmental impact,” said the authority, adding that it would provide updates when more information becomes available.

The Indian Coast Guard said on June 10 that “fires and explosions persist” on the vessel, which was tilting at around “10-15 deg”.

They issued photographs that showed flames leaping from the stacked containers, with the ship surrounded by thick plumes of billowing black smoke.

Initial images on June 9 showed heavy containers that had seemingly been hurled up by a powerful explosion on board, with the coast guard saying that some were in the water.

Coast guard vessels alongside the blackened and burning ship poured jets of water onto the flames, according to video footage released.

The MV Wan Hai container ship is the second to run into trouble off India’s southern coast within weeks.

A Liberian-flagged container ship with hazardous cargo sank off the coast of Kerala on May 24. The Indian Navy rescued all 24 crew members. AFP