The Coast Guard and Indian Navy vessels are continuing their efforts to douse the fire engulfing the container vessel Wan Hai 503 off Kerala coast on Monday.
Official sources said that 40 per cent of the fire has been controlled, but it still poses a danger. Efforts are on to tow the vessel deep maximum to the outer sea to avoid any impact on the coast. DG Shipping has deployed emergency towing vessels. There are concerns that the continuing fire could impact the structural integrity of the vessel, which may cause it to break up and sink into the sea. In such a situation, there could be an oil spillage as the vessel contains 2000 tonnes of fuel oil.
There are reports of listing of the ship 10-15 degrees on one side and more containers have fallen into the sea. Salvors have reached the location, but are unable to commence their operations until the fire is extinguished. The inclement weather is also an impediment to commence operations. The dangerous goods inside some containers is posing safety concern.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued advisories warning of drifting containers and a potential oil spill.
The Singapore-flagged vessel caught fire while on its voyage to Nhava Sheva in Mumbai from Colombo. The Indian Naval ship INS Surat rescued 18 crew members from the ship and brought them safely to the New Mangalore Port. Among the rescued, two are reported to be in critical condition, while four sustained minor injuries and 12 others suffered varying levels of trauma.
Meanwhile, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute said that the incident is likely to affect the fishing activities by small-scale fishers and traditional fishermen. This is particularly challenging for them as they endured a loss of valuable fishing days for the past few days due to extreme weather conditions. Moreover, this period is considered an ideal season for good fish hauls, coinciding the trawling ban.
The extent of its impact on the marine environment remains to be seen, as this is an evolving situation, and the severity as well as nature of its impact on marine ecosystems will depend upon the extent of pollution spread from the containers or from the vessel itself. Rapid assessments of water quality, sediment contamination, and the health of marine organisms will be conducted by the institute once the situation allows, said Grinson George, CMFRI Director.