MV Wan Hai 503 blaze: Firefighting continues amid adverse sea conditions

New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) Firefighting operations continued on Thursday to contain the fire on board a Singapore-flagged vessel three days after a blaze erupted on the cargo ship following a container explosion off the Kerala coast, the Coast Guard said.

The incident occurred at approximately 9.20 am IST, around 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal in the Kannur district of Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi.

In the early hours today, the Indian Coast Guard continued its relentless firefighting efforts aboard the MV WAN HAI 503 despite challenging sea conditions, a senior ICG official said.

A specialised team comprising a pilot and two aircrew divers was deployed onboard an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter to carry out aerial firefighting operations, the ICG official said.

During the mission, the team successfully dispersed 1,000 kg of dry chemical powder (DCP) directly onto the fire's core, the official said.

"Although the external fire has been extinguished, dense smoke continues to emanate, indicating residual internal heat and possible metallic fire," the ICG said.

Firefighting efforts remain ongoing, with all responding assets on "high alert" to ensure complete containment of fire, it said.

To mitigate environmental risks near the coast, the ICG is maintaining the vessel's position using a towline while closely monitoring the situation, the official added.

The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, with an expected time of arrival (ETA) on June 10, 2025.

Of the 22 crew members of the Singapore-flagged ship, 18 were rescued by the Navy, the Indian Coast Guard and other agencies on Monday. PTI KND MPL MPL