India's operation to salvage the burning Singapore-flagged ship, the Wan Hai 503, has reached a significant breakthrough after a tow line was successfully connected to the vessel, so as to move the ship to a safer spot away from the Indian coastline.
The burning ship continues to drift within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as per an update from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
The operation, jointly undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard and the MERC Salvage Master, made contact with the burning vessel at 3PM on Wednesday.
“Five ICG ships, two Dornier aircraft, and one helicopter are actively engaged in the operation, supported by two vessels provided by the Directorate General of Shipping,” an ICG statement said. It added that an expert team of salvors appointed by the vessel's owner had been deployed to assist with the firefighting efforts, in addition to aerial support from the Indian Air Force.
“With the valiant efforts of the Indian Coast Guard and the MERC Salvage Master, the tow line has been connected. This is a very significant achievement on the burning ship [issue],” declared Sekhar Kuriakose, Member Secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), confirming the development.
Using ICG helicopters, MERC officials were reported to have boarded the front side of the ship, from where a tow line—connected to tugboat named 'Water Lily'—was firmly secured. Water Lily is currently (slowly) moving Wan Hai 503 away from Kerala's coastline.
This was only possible due to the Coast Guard's efforts in dousing the fire at the front portion of the ship, long enough for the five salvors and an aircrew diver to board that spot.
“Continuous and determined firefighting efforts by the ICG have significantly contained the blaze, with only smoke now visible across the cargo holds and bays. However, the fire persists in the inner decks and areas near the fuel tanks,” the ICG statement added.
The ship, which had been located approximately 42 nautical miles away from Beypore, Kerala, holds 2,128 metric tonnes of fuel in its tanks, which poses a significant environmental concern due to its proximity to the fire zone.
With the ship's 18-strong crew already evacuated, the successful connection of the tow line marks a significant achievement for India, due to the bravery of officials who boarded the burning ship, which also contains 32.2 tonnes of nitrocellulose stored in alcohol, as well as goods classified under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
While nitrocellulose is stable in alcohol, it becomes highly flammable and can ignite or explode when dry and exposed to heat, friction, or shock.
"This is a huge success in terms of salvage effort. We only hope the tow line holds strong under the weight and strain [enough for the vessel to be moved further away from its current position],” Kuriakose explained.
