- The salvage operation has reached a significant breakthrough after a tow line was successfully connected to the vessel
- Five ICG ships, two Dornier aircraft, and a helicopter are engaged in the ongoing firefighting mission, supported by two vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping
- The Indian Air Force has been requested for additional aerial support
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, KOCHI, JUNE 11
The fire on board the Singapore-flagged container vessel has been largely contained, though it is still not fully under control, Defence sources said on Wednesday.
The ship is currently stable but has a slight tilt of 10 to 15 degrees to the port side. There has been rainfall in the area, they said.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Wednesday, winched five salvage team members and an aircrew diver onto the burning Singaporean-container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 to facilitate towing operations.
The salvage operation has reached a significant breakthrough after a tow line was successfully connected to the vessel, so as to move the ship to a safer spot away from the Indian coastline.
The operation, jointly undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard and the MERC Salvage Master, made contact with the burning vessel late on Tuesday.
“With the valiant efforts of the Indian Coast Guard and the MERC Salvage Master, the tow line has been connected. This is a very significant achievement on a burning ship [issue],” declared Sekhar Kuriakose, Member Secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), confirming the development.
Using Coast Guard helicopters, MERC officials were reported to have boarded the front side of the ship, from where a tow line—connected to tugboat named ‘Water Lily’—was firmly secured. Water Lily is currently (slowly) moving Wan Hai 503 away from Kerala’s coastline.
This was only possible due to the Coast Guard’s efforts in dousing the fire at the front portion of the ship, long enough for the MERC officials to board that spot.
Five ICG ships, two Dornier aircraft, and a helicopter are engaged in the ongoing firefighting mission, supported by two vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping. A salvage team appointed by the ship’s owners is working in coordination with ICG, and the Indian Air Force has been requested for additional aerial support. .
The ship, which had been located approximately 44 nautical miles (95km) southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, holds around 2,000 tons of fuel oil and 240 tons of diesel in its tanks, which poses a significant environmental concern due to its proximity to the fire zone.
With the ship’s 18-strong crew already evacuated, the successful connection of the tow line marks a significant achievement for India, due to the bravery of officials who boarded the burning ship, which also contains 32.2 tonnes of nitrocellulose stored in alcohol, as well as goods classified under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
While nitrocellulose is stable in alcohol, it becomes highly flammable and can ignite or explode when dry and exposed to heat, friction, or shock.
“This is a huge success in terms of salvage effort. We only hope the tow line holds strong under the weight and strain [enough for the vessel to be moved further away from its current position],” Kuriakose explained.
