Cargo ship Wan Hai 503 likely to explode and sink; fear looms over Kerala's coastal areas

KOCHI: The Singaporean cargo ship Wan Hai 503 which caught fire off the Kochi coast is likely to explode. Efforts are being made to prevent the fire from spreading to the 2,000-ton fuel tank, but the containers are still carrying explosives. The Coast Guard and Navy are trying to move the ship to the open sea to reduce the impact on the coastal area. Intensive efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire and prevent the ship from sinking.

60 per cent of the fire is still not doused. If the frame and layers melt in the intense heat, the ship will explode. The Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services has warned that the containers may reach the Kerala coast. Although the ship is 81.5 kilometres away from the Azheekal port in Kannur, the containers may reach the Thrissur and Ernakulam areas.

The ship is listed 10-15 degrees to the left. More containers have fallen into the sea. If it lists further, there is a possibility of sinking. Despite most of the fire being contained, smoke is still emanating from the ship.

Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari, Sachet and Samarth are continuing the firefighting mission. Samarth is equipped with modern firefighting equipment. Considering the heat and explosion hazard, water is being pumped from a distance of 200 meters. Coast Guard Dornier aircraft is conducting surveillance. INS Sutlej (J17), which came to rescue the crew, returned.

The list released by the authorities shows that the goods in 157 containers are capable of burning, exploding and causing serious health problems to humans. Most of them fall under class 6.1, which includes hazardous substances. Chemicals in numbers 7 to 12 are dangerously explosive. These are capable of catching fire if they come into direct contact with water or air, said R. Venugopal, a chemical expert and retired Joint Chief Controller of Explosives.

The ship is carrying a large quantity of explosive lithium batteries along with pesticides, 19 containers of flammable solids, ethanol, printing ink, paint, and nitrocellulose-containing alcohol.