Fresh fire halts Wan Hai 503 towing; officials suspect undeclared cargo behind recurring blaze

Kochi: Towing operations of the Wan Hai 503 vessel were temporarily suspended after a fresh fire broke out during ongoing rescue efforts. The container ship had earlier caught fire in the Arabian Sea. The blaze was detected again on Friday, and as of Saturday morning, operations remain on hold.

This has left the ship’s relocation to the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka uncertain until the fire is fully extinguished. The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) is now considering moving the ship to a port in an African country.

With the help of the Advantis Virgo’s tugboat, about 12,000 litres of a chemical mixture have already been used to douse the fire. Around 3,000 litres of the mixture remain. Authorities are trying to procure additional chemical supplies from Singapore, if necessary.

The Directorate General of Shipping has identified undeclared goods in 243 containers on board. Officials suspect this may be the reason for the recurring fires despite intensified rescue efforts. The Wan Hai vessel entered India’s Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday night. It is now positioned 3.5 nautical miles south of the 200-nautical mile boundary.