Fire On Ship Off Kerala Coast: Containers Fall, Hazardous, Toxic Cargo On Board (Photo on X@cibeesh)
Kannur, Kerala: A Singapore-flagged vessel carrying 2000 tonnes of oil and 240 tonnes of diesel caught fire off Kerala’s Kannur coast on Tuesday, June 10. The WANHAI 503 ship had reportedly carried other flammable and toxic materials. As the rescue teams are struggling to extinguish the blaze, the fire continues to rage the vessel, sparking fears of the vessel sinking. According to the Directorate General of Shipping, the cargo categorised as dangerous goods; the cargo manifest has been handed over to the Kerala government for further preventive action.
Four crew members are still missing from the ship. The authorities have intensified the search operation for them, Defense PRO Atul Pillai said. Seven ships and five Dornier aircraft are part of the rescue operation, and INS Sujatha and Coast Guard vessel Samarth have joined the rescue efforts.
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Pillai explained that access to the burning ship was not possible on Monday, and the Coast Guard managed to approach and begin spraying water today. “However, the vessel is not floating in a stable position, which complicated the response,” The Hindu quoted the defense PRO.
Atul Pillai says the situation remains critical as the floating containers pose additional perils. Minister of Ports V. N. Vasavan has confirmed that at least 50 containers have fallen into the water, adding that the authorities are monitoring environmental and fishing problems associated with the incident.
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According to Azhikkal port PRO Captain Arun Kumar, efforts to extinguish the fire had not yet succeeded. He said a specialised salvage team departed from Kochi this morning, and the recovery operation for containers fallen into the sea is in progress. He also warned that some of the containers may drift toward the Ernakulam and Thrissur coast.
The fire broke out on MV Wan Hai 503 on Monday while the ship was en route from Colombo to Mumbai, 78 nautical miles off the Kerala Coast. The contents that are included in the containers have raised environmental concerns, including the potential risks of pollution and coastal damage.
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The contents of the burning containers – some reportedly hazardous – have raised environmental concerns. Authorities continue to monitor the movement of the containers and assess the potential risks of pollution and coastal damage. Coastal police in Kannur have cautioned the fishermen to be careful.
This is the second similar incident in a month. In May, a Liberian cargo ship, carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo, capsized and sank in the sea off the state’s coast in the early hours of Sunday. The incident had caused a major oil leak, forcing the government to declare the accident a state disaster.
