The Indian Coast Guard is engaged in a critical operation to control a significant fire on the MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, which flared up in the Arabian Sea near Kerala's coastline. The vessel, traveling from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Mumbai, India, experienced an internal container explosion on Monday, resulting in extensive flames and smoke.
Eighteen crew members have been successfully rescued, but four remain unaccounted for. The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has confirmed that the missing crew includes two individuals from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia, and has dispatched a team to aid in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
As the Indian Navy and Coast Guard fight the blaze, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued warnings regarding possible oil spills and debris washing ashore along the Kerala coast. Authorities reported that the ship was carrying 100 tonnes of bunker oil, raising concerns of environmental risks if the fire spreads further or if more containers fall into the sea.
Notably, Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan indicated that 50 containers from the MV Wan Hai 503 have already fallen into the ocean, leading to fears of drifting debris impacting local ecosystems over the coming days. This incident marks the second maritime disaster near Kerala in a short span, following a previous oil spill from another vessel that had raised alarms regarding potential threats to both public health and marine life.
In response to these recent incidents, the state government has already imposed fishing bans in nearby waters and is preparing to assist affected local communities. Kerala’s coastal regions are not only ecologically significant but also essential for tourism, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the repercussions of these maritime accidents.
