A fire and explosion occurred on the Singaporean container ship Wan Hai 503 off the southwest coast of India, resulting in the disappearance of four crew members and multiple containers being damaged and falling into the sea. According to the latest report from the Indian Coast Guard, the fire on the container ship is still spreading.
At around 12:30 Singapore time on June 9, the relevant Indian authorities received a report that a fire and explosion broke out on the Singaporean container ship “Wan Hai 503” about 80 kilometers southwest of Ajikal, Kerala, India. A container on board caught fire and the fire was spreading to other containers.
There were 22 crew members on board at the time of the incident, 18 of whom were rescued by passing vessels, two of whom were seriously injured and three slightly injured and were expected to be evacuated to India. Four crew members are missing as a result of the accident: one crew member from Taiwan, China; two crew members from Indonesia; and one crew member from Myanmar.
Search and rescue operations are under way. The Indian Navy has sent a Navy ship to assist in the rescue operation and the Indian Coast Guard has sent five vessels to the accident site and aircraft to survey the site.
According to pictures and videos released by the Indian Coast Guard on social media, the container ship “Wan Hai 503” was billowing with thick smoke, some containers on the bow tilted and caught fire, and several containers shifted. According to Reuters, at least 40 containers fell into the sea after a series of explosions and fires.
A follow-up photo shows more containers engulfed in flames.
It was reported that the Wan Hai 503 was carrying various dangerous goods including flammable liquids and solids, self-igniting substances and toxic substances.
In a follow-up briefing, the Indian Coast Guard said that the situation remains critical and that all efforts are being made to take measures to stabilize the vessel, that smoke is still coming out, and that the fire appears to be spreading, with the possibility of a secondary explosion.
Built in 2005, Wan Hai 503 has an overall length of 268.8 meters, a beam of 32.3 meters, a sailing speed of about 14 knots, and a maximum capacity of 4,252 TEUs, and is operated by Wan Hai Shipping, an owner from Taiwan, China.
The vessel, which sailed from Colombo on June 7 and was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on June 10, is currently located about 78 nautical miles southwest of the Indian state of Kerala. Sources said the vessel was carrying about 650 containers at the time of the incident.
In early June, Wan Hai 503 underwent a final port State inspection in Mumbai, which noted some minor problems with loading and unloading equipment and issued a workplace safety warning, but was not detained.
The fire on the vessel is still spreading and Wan Hai Lines has hired firefighting and salvage tugs for the vessel. The cause of the accident is under further investigation.