Singapore-Flagged Container Ship Still Burning, IAF Joined Rescue Ops

Singapore-Flagged Container Ship Still Burning, IAF Joined Rescue Operation. 

Braving rough seas and tough conditions, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is continuing its crucial firefighting efforts on the burning container ship MV WAN HAI 503, which is drifting off the Kerala coast.

In a major step early Thursday morning, the ICG, with support from the Indian Air Force, sent a MI-17 helicopter carrying a skilled team. The helicopter successfully dropped 1,000 kg of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) directly onto the heart of the fire. This important operation, carried out by one pilot and two aircrew divers, marked a key move in trying to bring the stubborn blaze under control.

Officials have confirmed that the flames on the outside of the ship have been put out, but thick smoke is still coming from the vessel. This suggests that there is still heat and possibly metal fires deep inside the cargo area, which are very dangerous because of what the ship is carrying.

Sources say the ship is loaded with hazardous materials, such as, Pesticides (Class 6.1 - Toxic Substances), Lithium Batteries (Class 9 - Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods), Highly Flammable Liquids (Class 3). 

These materials make the situation more dangerous as they can catch fire again, release toxic fumes, or cause environmental damage. This makes the firefighting operation very complicated and risky.

The MV WAN HAI 503, a container ship flying the Singapore flag, caught fire on June 9 while it was passing through India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 42 nautical miles from Beypore, Kerala. The ship is carrying over 122,000 metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of cargo containers.