Latest news with #Sachet
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Firefighting efforts continue for 5th day on Singaporean vessel off Kerala; 8 ICG ships deployed
Firefighting efforts by ICG continues for 5th day on Singaporean vessel (Pic credit: PTI) Five days after a massive fire broke out aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, firefighting efforts by Indian Coast Gaurd (ICG) continue off the Kerala coast. Amidst the ongoing efforts, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed eight ships - Sachet, Samarth, Saksham, Samudra Prahari, Vikram, Rajdoot, Kasturba Gandhi, and Arnvesh to contain the fire and mitigate any potential further damage. The MV Wan Hai 503 cargo vessel was en route to Mumbai from Colombo, went ablaze which was triggered by a container explosion, on June 9 at around 9:20 am IST, 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi. A Navy spokesperson attributed the swift response by the salvage team of the Indian Navy to reinforce the rescue efforts. "The salvage team members were embarked onboard a Seaking helicopter at INS Garuda, Kochi. The Naval helicopter successfully inserted the team on the vessel amidst challenging weather and sea conditions and fire onboard', he told PTI. Out of the 22 crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel, 18 were successfully rescued on Monday by the Navy, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), and other agencies. According to an ICG statement released on June 9, the crew comprised eight Chinese nationals, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese, and three Indonesian nationals.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
A ship is burning bright near Kerala day and night with fuel and fear aboard
Oil spill advisories, slight tilt in the ship, risk of ship sinking, containers falling into the sea - a lot has happened since an explosion and a massive fire broke out below the deck of a Singapore-flagged vessel , M.V. Wan Hai 503, on June 9. The ship was sailing nearly 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast near Kozhikode on Monday. The sailing fire has raised several environmental concerns as the ship continues to emit thick smoke. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its efforts to control the fire until Thursday, June 12, as reported. The vessel remains unmanned and adrift, 65 nautical miles from Kozhikode, Kerala, as on Thursday. Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet, carrying out firefighting operations over MV Wan Hai 503 , are still in the process of completely combating the fire and smoke. The Coast Guard team has deployed numerous measures to control the fire, rescue officers on-board and site surveillance. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an advisory to warn of a potential oil spill. The government ministry has also issued an advisory warning of drifting containers as several containers fell from the ship due to the explosion. Reportedly, 10 to 15 of the fallen containers were spotted adrift on a course toward the Kerala coast. The ship was carrying hazardous substances , including solids that can spontaneously combust, flammable liquids and solids, and substances harmful to human health. Hence, the firefighting operations require caution and expert advice. The contents of the ship raise concerns about ocean water contamination, possibility of an explosion, and harm to marine life. There is a high probability that the containers and debris that went overboard from the vessel Wan Hai 503 may drift south-southeastwards from the accident location may beach Thalassery and Kochi in the next 4 – 5 days, said INCOIS on Thursday. The containers containing hazardous substances are likely to continue to drift in the ocean for the next 4-5 days and might take longer to beach. A few containers are at the risk of beaching between Kozhikode and Kochi. Some units are likely to sink to the seabed depending on their contents. This would pose further risk to marine life as the containers, along with their contents will spread hazardous substances deep inside the ocean water. INCIOS suggested that local authorities should increase surveillance and issue precautions as a preparatory measure for potential marine hazards such as navigational obstructions or shoreline contamination. The fire raises a threat of explosion because the ship tank contains approximately 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel, adjacent to the fire zone. This also poses a high risk of fire escalation. The ship has tilted approximately 10 to 15 degrees to its left, as stated by the Indian Coast Guard. The ship's tilt makes room for possibilities of the vessel to sink along with dangerous cargo, which will have adverse effects on marine life at a large scale. The listing of the ship is a major challenge for the rescuers. 'We can't say anything about the future of the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard the ship only after dousing the fire. However, we are hopeful that the fire could be contained,' a senior Union Shipping Ministry source told The Hindu. 'The vessels of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are doing their level best, but a positive outcome is highly unlikely as the fire continues to rage and spread. Since there are containers drifting around the vessel, firefighting vessels are struggling to pump water from a close range. At the same time, there are flammable substances in the containers,' an official source told TOI. ICG posted an update about MV Wan Hai 503 on Thursday, stating that firefighting operations have significantly reduced the blaze onboard. While conducting joint efforts with Indian Armed Forces, a massive amount of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) has been air-dropped for fire control. IAF has dropped 4000 kg of DCP for controlling metal fire. However, amid several warnings, no oil spills and sheens have been reported so far. The vessel is held safely away from the coast. The firefighting operations are still underway by seven ICG ships alongside boundary cooling. The weather conditions continue to be adverse in the west Sea as ICG runs firefighting operations 24x7.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
A ship is burning bright near Kerala day and night with fuel and fear aboard
Oil spill advisories, slight tilt in the ship, risk of ship sinking, containers falling into the sea - a lot has happened since an explosion and a massive fire broke out below the deck of a Singapore-flagged vessel , M.V. Wan Hai 503, on June 9. The ship was sailing nearly 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast near Kozhikode on Monday. The sailing fire has raised several environmental concerns as the ship continues to emit thick smoke. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its efforts to control the fire until Thursday, June 12, as reported. The vessel remains unmanned and adrift, 65 nautical miles from Kozhikode, Kerala, as on Thursday. Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet, carrying out firefighting operations over MV Wan Hai 503 , are still in the process of completely combating the fire and smoke. The Coast Guard team has deployed numerous measures to control the fire, rescue officers on-board and site surveillance. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an advisory to warn of a potential oil spill. The government ministry has also issued an advisory warning of drifting containers as several containers fell from the ship due to the explosion. Reportedly, 10 to 15 of the fallen containers were spotted adrift on a course toward the Kerala coast. The ship was carrying hazardous substances , including solids that can spontaneously combust, flammable liquids and solids, and substances harmful to human health. Hence, the firefighting operations require caution and expert advice. The contents of the ship raise concerns about ocean water contamination, possibility of an explosion, and harm to marine life. There is a high probability that the containers and debris that went overboard from the vessel Wan Hai 503 may drift south-southeastwards from the accident location may beach Thalassery and Kochi in the next 4 – 5 days, said INCOIS on Thursday. The containers containing hazardous substances are likely to continue to drift in the ocean for the next 4-5 days and might take longer to beach. A few containers are at the risk of beaching between Kozhikode and Kochi. Live Events Some units are likely to sink to the seabed depending on their contents. This would pose further risk to marine life as the containers, along with their contents will spread hazardous substances deep inside the ocean water. INCIOS suggested that local authorities should increase surveillance and issue precautions as a preparatory measure for potential marine hazards such as navigational obstructions or shoreline contamination. The fire raises a threat of explosion because the ship tank contains approximately 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel, adjacent to the fire zone. This also poses a high risk of fire escalation. The ship has tilted approximately 10 to 15 degrees to its left, as stated by the Indian Coast Guard. The ship's tilt makes room for possibilities of the vessel to sink along with dangerous cargo, which will have adverse effects on marine life at a large scale. The listing of the ship is a major challenge for the rescuers. 'We can't say anything about the future of the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard the ship only after dousing the fire. However, we are hopeful that the fire could be contained,' a senior Union Shipping Ministry source told The Hindu. 'The vessels of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are doing their level best, but a positive outcome is highly unlikely as the fire continues to rage and spread. Since there are containers drifting around the vessel, firefighting vessels are struggling to pump water from a close range. At the same time, there are flammable substances in the containers,' an official source told TOI. ICG posted an update about MV Wan Hai 503 on Thursday, stating that firefighting operations have significantly reduced the blaze onboard. While conducting joint efforts with Indian Armed Forces, a massive amount of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) has been air-dropped for fire control. IAF has dropped 4000 kg of DCP for controlling metal fire. However, amid several warnings, no oil spills and sheens have been reported so far. The vessel is held safely away from the coast. The firefighting operations are still underway by seven ICG ships alongside boundary cooling. The weather conditions continue to be adverse in the west Sea as ICG runs firefighting operations 24x7.
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Fire in container ship off Kerala contained considerably, inner decks still burn
After three days of sustained firefighting, the Coast Guard said the massive blaze on the Singapore-flagged vessel M V Wan Hai-503 has been considerably contained. The Coast Guard said its ship deployed a three-member team comprising divers and salvors in a Chetak helicopter to the deck of the vessel. It said they successfully secured the towing hawser (a rope or cable used to tow vessels) on the ship, connecting it to the Coast Guard ship Samudra Prahari, which now contains its movement. This prevents the ill-fated container ship from drifting to the coast. Once two or three tow lines are placed, it will be handed over to tug boats, which will pull the vessel away from the coast. The Coast Guard said the salvors were from the Marine Emergency Response Centre of Vishwakarma Mechanical Works, Gujarat. 'The container vessel continues to drift approximately 42 nautical miles off Beypore in Kerala within the exclusive economic zone of the country. The ship, which is carrying 2,128 MT of fuel and hazardous cargo, still poses an environmental risk. The Coast Guard, with air and sea assets, has largely contained the fire. Inner decks still burn. Salvors winched onboard to aid towing. Unfavourable seas persist. Focus remains on extinguishing the blaze and preventing a marine disaster,'' the Coast Guard posted on X. Kerala Disaster Management Authority member Secretary Shekhar Kuriakose said securing the towing hawser on a burning ship is 'a significant achievement.' Four Coast Guard ships — Samudra Prahari, Sachet, Vikram, and Samarth — with helicopters, are positioned around the vessel for firefighting and coordinating pollution response in case of any oil or chemical spill. Residual smoke is still visible from the distressed vessel. Ships Arnvesh, Rajdoot and Kasturba Gandhi are undertaking search operations for the 4 missing crew of the vessel. An official communication said, about 24 containers had fallen off the vessel and are likely floating or have sunk. The Single Point Mooring owned by Bharat Petroleum has been asked to keep a close watch to deflect any floating containers to prevent damage to the installation.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
MV Wan Hai 503 blaze rages on; explosives confirmed, Kerala coast on Alert
KOCHI: Fire continued to rage and dark smoke with toxic fumes kept billowing from MV Wan Hai 503 on Tuesday, a day after a major blast ripped through the Singapore flagged container vessel. The Director General (DG) of Shipping released a list of 157 containers carrying hazardous cargo, but details of the explosives have not been revealed. However, sources confirmed the presence of explosives in the vessel, saying they might have triggered the blast. A top official said the shipping firm has been told that the vessel will not be allowed to dock at Indian ports and they will have to take it off Indian waters after dousing the fire. 'We have confirmed the presence of explosives on the vessel. But the list of dangerous goods released does not have these details. We believe the initial blast was triggered by the explosives and the fire spread to the inflammable cargo. Among the 18 crew members, five sustained burn injuries and were admitted to a hospital. The others are lodged in a hotel. The DG Shipping authorities will start recording their statements on Wednesday. The salvage team appointed by the shipping firm will arrive in Kochi on Wednesday morning. There are expert chemists in the team and the efforts to neutralise the toxic chemicals will be taken up based on their advice,' said a senior officer. Indian Coast Guard vessels Samudra Prahari and Sachet toiled hard pumping water at high force on the vessel to contain the flames while other ICG vessels Samarth, Abhinav and Arnvesh were, in addition to providing support, coordinating rescue operations. Indian Navy vessel INS Sutlej also joined the operations on Tuesday evening. The Dornier aircraft of Coast Guard deployed for surveillance has sighted around 10 to 15 containers drifting in the southeasterly direction. The estimated speed of the drift is 1 to 1.5 knots per hour. If unchecked, these containers may reach Kerala coast between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram by Thursday. The contents of the floating containers remain unknown, and their potential for hazard is under assessment.
