Fire-hit Wan Hai ship to be shifted to Sri Lanka; search for four crew members called off

KOCHI: The fire-hit Wan Hai 503 ship, which was shifted 72 nautical miles off the Kerala coast and brought under control, will be shifted to a Sri Lankan port. The steps to board and inspect the ship have been completed. The search for the four missing sailors has been called off. This comes after 10 days of the accident.

Steps have been taken to shift the ship to the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. This is the nearest port from where the ship is located. It is 480 nautical miles away. The action is also being taken considering that it is a port with commercial ties for the ship's owners, Wan Hai Lines. If permission is not received from the Sri Lankan authorities, Jebel Ali in the UAE and Bahrain ports are also being considered.

The ship is located southeast of the Kerala coast. As the sea level and wind have decreased, it is being controlled by tying a rope to a tug. Although the fire is not visible from the outside, smoke is rising. Water is being pumped in to cool the metal parts of the ship and to extinguish the fire in the crew quarters.

The sea level and wind have decreased, which has helped the rescue mission. A team of experts, including foreigners, is examining the damage to the ship, the condition of the containers, and whether there are any missing crew members. The Director General of Shipping said that visa procedures are ongoing for more foreign experts to arrive.

DNA testing

The coastal police in Fort Kochi have asked the shipping company to provide the DNA and fingerprints of the four missing crew members out of the 22 crew members on the ship. A DNA test will be conducted to dispel the suspicion that the body that washed ashore in Alappuzha belongs to the crew member.