The Indian Coast Guard and Navy are actively battling a significant fire aboard the MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, which erupted on Monday while sailing in the Arabian Sea close to Kerala's coastline. The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Mumbai, India, when an internal explosion in one of its containers set off a major blaze.
Rescue operations have successfully saved 18 of the ship's 22 crew members, who evacuated on a lifeboat amid the chaos. However, four crew members remain unaccounted for: two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia. Singapore has deployed a team to aid in the recovery efforts.
As the fire continues to rage, plumes of smoke can be seen in footage shared online, prompting local authorities to issue alerts regarding potential oil spills and debris from the sunken containers. Reports indicate that approximately 50 containers fell overboard during the incident, and the vessel was also transporting 100 tonnes of bunker oil, raising serious environmental concerns.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services warned that the containers could drift toward Kerala's coast in the coming days, exacerbating the situation. This incident marks the second maritime accident in the vicinity within three weeks. Just last month, a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank, leading to a ban on fishing in a 20-nautical mile radius while local authorities prepared to address potential pollution threats to marine life and coastal communities.
Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan confirmed the ongoing situation's gravity, emphasizing the need for action to safeguard both the environment and local fisheries, vital to the region's economy and biodiversity.
