Singapore-flagged cargo ship on fire towed farther away from coastline

The fire-damaged Singapore cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 was towed 40 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast to prevent it from drifting ashore. Indian forces continue firefighting and rescue efforts, with 4 crew missing and operations slowed by rough weather

Kochi: Amidst the firefighting operation aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo ship, which caught fire earlier this week off the Kerala coast en route to Mumbai from Colombo, it was towed farther away from the coastline on Saturday morning, defence sources said.

The vessel — MV Wan Hai 503 — has been towed 40 nautical miles away from land. Earlier, the ship was 27 nautical miles from land, they said. According to a defence statement, the towing operation was initiated with a Seaking helicopter from the Southern Naval Command winching down salvors to shift the tow cables from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships to the tug vessels.

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This shift was essential as ICG vessels have limited bollard pull — a term denoting the towing capacity of a ship — and while they were able to keep the MV Wan Hai 503 away from the coast, strong winds caused it to drift rapidly towards shore, the statement said.

Subsequently, despite the adverse weather, the salvage team was winched onboard the vessel and a tow rope from it was connected to the tug vessels. “The towing operations have commenced. Due to heavy weather, towing speed is restricted to 1.5 knots,” it said.

“ICG Ships Saksham, Samarth, Vikram, and IN Ship Sharda, OSV Triton Liberty are escorting the towing vessels. Towing is being undertaken by Tug Offshore Warrior, Garnett and Water Lily,” a defence statement, on social media platform X, said.

“Fire fighting operation continues,” it added. It further said that the ICG was closely coordinating with the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure the vessel remains at least 50 nautical miles from the Indian coastline until a suitable fate is decided by the owners of the vessel, in line with internationally accepted practices.

“This marks a major stride in mitigating a hazardous situation and safeguarding our coastal environment. The situation is expected to further stabilise with the anticipated arrival of additional firefighting tugs to support the ongoing operation.

“The Indian Coast Guard remains ever-prepared to respond to such contingencies and continues to work in close synergy with sister services, state authorities, regulatory agencies, and private salvors to ensure the safety of life, property, and the marine ecosystem,” the statement said.

The Singapore-flagged vessel had caught fire after one of the containers aboard it exploded. On Thursday, the Directorate General of Shipping had said that 40 per cent of the fire had been brought under control. Of the 22 crew members on board the vessel, 18 were rescued while four remain missing.