A fire aboard the MV Wan Hai 503 has resulted in four missing crew members while 18 were rescued. The incident, which occurred off the coast of Kerala, prompts fears of environmental damage due to spilled cargo.
Fire Outbreak on Singapore-Flagged Cargo Ship Leaves Four Missing Near Kerala
Fire Outbreak on Singapore-Flagged Cargo Ship Leaves Four Missing Near Kerala
Rescue operations continue as the MV Wan Hai 503 burns off the southern coast of India, raising environmental concerns over potential oil spills.
The Indian Coast Guard is battling a significant fire that erupted on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 in the Arabian Sea, close to the southern state of Kerala. The vessel was traveling from Sri Lanka's Colombo to Mumbai, India, when it experienced an internal explosion within one of its containers, igniting the blaze.
As emergency responders work diligently to extinguish the fire, the situation has become dire, with reports indicating that four crew members remain unaccounted for. The operation has already seen the successful rescue of 18 crew members who managed to abandon the ship and were later retrieved by Indian naval forces.
Authorities from Singapore, including the Maritime and Port Authority, have deployed a team to aid in the ongoing search efforts. It has been confirmed that two of the missing crew members are Taiwanese, alongside one each from Myanmar and Indonesia.
Dangerous environmental implications are also a pressing concern, as the Kerala Ports Minister revealed that approximately 50 containers fell into the sea during the incident. The ship reportedly holds around 100 tonnes of bunker oil, creating an increased risk of an oil spill along the Kerala coastline.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a warning regarding potential debris and pollution affecting the coastal area, which is known for its rich biodiversity and serves as a vital tourist spot.
This unfortunate incident marks the second maritime crisis near Kerala in just three weeks, following a similar event involving a Liberian-flagged vessel that sank and leaked hazardous materials into the Arabian Sea. In response to that earlier incident, authorities instituted fishing bans and promised compensation for impacted fishing communities.
As the search and recovery operations continue, the need for urgent action to prevent further environmental degradation remains critical, underscoring the challenges faced by Indian maritime safety authorities.
