The Indian Navy and Coast Guard are battling a significant fire on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the Kerala coast, following an explosion. While 18 crew members have been rescued, four remain missing, prompting extended search efforts and growing concerns about potential environmental risks due to debris and oil spill.
Rescue Operations Underway for Missing Crew Members of Burning Cargo Ship Off Kerala Coast
Rescue Operations Underway for Missing Crew Members of Burning Cargo Ship Off Kerala Coast
Fire aboard the MV Wan Hai 503 prompts rescue efforts as four crew members remain unaccounted for, with environmental concerns rising.
In a developing maritime crisis, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are engaged in a critical mission to extinguish a raging fire on the MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, which occurred in the Arabian Sea near the southern coast of Kerala on Monday. The ship, which was en route to Mumbai from Colombo, suffered an internal explosion of one of its containers, leading to widespread flames on board.
The search and rescue operation has successfully retrieved 18 of the 22 crew members, with some receiving medical attention for their injuries sustained during the incident. However, four crew members, including two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia, remain unaccounted for. Singapore has dispatched a team to join the search efforts.
Footage from on-site operations shows the MV Wan Hai 503 engulfed in thick smoke as efforts to control the fire continue. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a warning along the Kerala coastline due to the possibility of oil spilling and debris from the vessel that could wash ashore.
Significantly, Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan revealed that 50 containers have fallen into the sea, raising alarm over potential ecological ramifications, as the ship was carrying 100 tonnes of bunker oil. Authorities have expressed fears that debris may drift closer to land over the next few days.
This incident marks the second maritime emergency near the Kerala coast within a month. A previous incident involving a Liberian-flagged vessel resulted in a harmful cargo leak, prompting the state government to impose a fishing ban within a 20-nautical mile radius and offer compensation for impacted fishing communities.
Given Kerala's ecological significance and its vital tourism sector, the unfolding situation is being monitored closely by both state officials and environmental agencies as causes for concern continue to grow.
The search and rescue operation has successfully retrieved 18 of the 22 crew members, with some receiving medical attention for their injuries sustained during the incident. However, four crew members, including two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia, remain unaccounted for. Singapore has dispatched a team to join the search efforts.
Footage from on-site operations shows the MV Wan Hai 503 engulfed in thick smoke as efforts to control the fire continue. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a warning along the Kerala coastline due to the possibility of oil spilling and debris from the vessel that could wash ashore.
Significantly, Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan revealed that 50 containers have fallen into the sea, raising alarm over potential ecological ramifications, as the ship was carrying 100 tonnes of bunker oil. Authorities have expressed fears that debris may drift closer to land over the next few days.
This incident marks the second maritime emergency near the Kerala coast within a month. A previous incident involving a Liberian-flagged vessel resulted in a harmful cargo leak, prompting the state government to impose a fishing ban within a 20-nautical mile radius and offer compensation for impacted fishing communities.
Given Kerala's ecological significance and its vital tourism sector, the unfolding situation is being monitored closely by both state officials and environmental agencies as causes for concern continue to grow.
