Kochi/Kozhikode: In a high-stakes firefighting operation, the Indian Navy on Thursday morning deployed a helicopter to spray dry chemical powder over the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been burning off the coast of Kerala for four days.

Visuals released from the scene showed the chemical powder, packed in bags, being released from the air in an effort to bring the fire under full control. Authorities expressed hope that the flames would be fully extinguished by Thursday evening.

Though the fire has been largely contained, stubborn flames persist at the base of the ship. As a result, chemical suppression techniques are being used to tackle the remaining fire. Agencies involved in the effort—including Indian Coast Guard—are optimistic that the fire could be completely extinguished.

Search continues for four missing crew

Three days after the initial explosion triggered the fire, four crew members remain unaccounted for. The Navy and Coast Guard have deployed both vessels and Dornier aircraft to search the area but have not located them. The missing include two Taiwanese nationals, one Indonesian and one from Myanmar.

Out of the 22 crew members originally aboard, 18 were rescued while a Dornier aircraft was conducting aerial monitoring. No leads have emerged regarding the missing four.

All the missing crew know how to swim. Authorities believe that if they had jumped into the water, the Navy or Coast Guard would have located them. The explosion is believed to have originated in a container situated midship, and it is suspected that the missing crew members were in that vicinity at the time.

High-risk salvage operation underway

Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon, a daring operation was carried out as an Indian Coast Guard helicopter winched five salvage team members and one aircrew diver onto the burning vessel. Their mission: to secure a towline that will help guide the ship to a safer location, away from the sensitive coastal waters.

Firefighting and salvage operations involve five Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, a helicopter, two support vessels, and salvage experts hired by the ship’s owners. Rough sea conditions are making these efforts more challenging, but authorities stress that containing the fire and towing the vessel away from the coast are top priorities.