The blaze that engulfed the Singapore-flagged ship WANHAI 503, which caught fire off the Kannur coast, continues to rage through the ship. According to a Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) release, the flames have spread towards the accommodation area since morning.
However, the major concern is the presence of approximately 2000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel oil in tanks adjacent to the fire zone.
The ship has drifted approximately 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) to the south. The release said it has 157 containers with dangerous materials, including 32.2 tonne of nitrocellulose (a highly flammable substance used in various applications like lacquers, plastics, and explosives) with alcohol. These, combined with the high amount of fuel, pose an immediate fire hazard.
Earlier, Shyam Jagannathan, DG of Shipping, told Onmanorama that the ship could pose an environmental hazard off the Kerala coast. “The ship contains cargo in a dangerous category. The vessel is around 45 nautical miles off the Kannur coast. Details have been handed over to the state government of Kerala,” he said.
The vessel remains unmanned and adrift and continues to emit smoke and flames, the KSDMA release noted. While the shipowners have formally appointed a company to control the pollution, expert firefighting personnel have not been deployed. There are discussions to consult with professionals from the UK or the Netherlands.
“The immediate concern remains to contain the drift of the vessel away from the Indian coast and considering the magnitude of the fire, connecting a towline will remain extremely challenging and alternative options are being considered with the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard,” the release said.
The release said the Coast Guard aircraft spotted 10 to 15 containers drifting. If not stopped, “these may reach the coast around June 12, 2025,” the release noted. The contents of the floating containers have yet to be ascertained.