The Indian Coast Guard has said it is trying to tow the Wan Hai 503 away from the Indian coast to avoid an ecological disaster, as the ship burns for the fourth day.
The coast guard is concerned about further explosions on the ship, which has more than 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and hundreds of containers with hazardous goods.
India’s Director General of Shipping has disclosed that 157 containers on the 4,520 TEU Wan Hai 503 have hazardous goods, and there are explosives on the ship, presenting risks for more blasts and an unthinkable impact on the environment.
Wan Hai has appointed T&T Salvage to tow the ship away, but with the Indian Coast Guard continuing to fight the flames, attaching a tow line is difficult. The salvage team, including chemists who expect to handle the toxic chemicals from the blaze, is understood to have arrived at the disaster scene off Kerala on 11 June.
Four seafarers on Wan Hai 503, comprising two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, and one Myanmar national, remain missing and are now feared dead. Of the 18 rescued crewmen, two had serious injuries, including 35-40% burns.
Fifty containers have reportedly fallen from the Wan Hai 503 into the water, although coast guard officials only said that 10 to 15 containers have been spotted drifting in the sea.
There is concern that these containers, if they have hazardous goods, could be a fire risk, as these could wash up along Kerala’s coast today (12 June).
Wan Hai has yet to respond to Container News’ request for comment.
