Kochi: In a major development, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has successfully enabled the towing of the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been ablaze in the Arabian Sea. The vessel caught fire approximately 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala, posing a serious threat to the marine ecosystem and regional shipping.

According to a post on X by the Indian Coast Guard, “Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV Wah Hai 503 and protect the marine environment! India Coast Guard ships undertaking firefighting operations enabled the tow connection of the Salvage vessel in an extremely challenging and daunting operation.”

The post further added, “HQSNC tasked the Indian Navy helicopter to winch down salvors who shifted the tow from ICG ships to Salvage Tugs. The tow has now commenced, and the vessel is being pulled to keep away from our coast! ICG fire fighting operation continues.”

Vessel carried hazardous cargo

The container ship was reportedly carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo. This posed a significant risk not only to the marine environment but also to commercial shipping lanes in the region.

Despite rough sea conditions, the Indian Coast Guard’s continuous 24/7 operations ensured the ship was moved safely away from the coastline, thereby averting a potential oil spill or marine disaster.

Safety measures and coordinated response

Boundary cooling and effective firefighting measures implemented by the Coast Guard have proven vital in stabilising the situation.

On Thursday, a high-level Synergy Meeting was held at the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) [ACNA (Air)] and the Deputy Director General (Aviation) [DDG (AV)] of the ICG.

Strengthening joint air operations

Discussions focused on enhancing jointmanship, interoperability, and coordinated air operations between the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. Officials also deliberated on training programmes, flight safety protocols, and future acquisition of assets to improve India's maritime aviation capacity.