Wan Hai 503 tilts to left side; ship was carrying 157 explosive items

KOCHI: M V Wan Hai 503 ship, which caught fire off the Kerala coast, has tilted up to 15 degrees. The ship has tilted to the left side. The fire has not been extinguished yet. Black smoke is bellowing from the ship. Moreover, more containers have fallen into the sea. The Singapore-flagged container ship that left Colombo caught fire en route to Mumbai.

The cargo manifest of the harmful items on board has been officially released. The ship was carrying 157 explosive items. These are flammable chemicals that can be dangerous if mixed with water. A high-level meeting will be held in Kochi today to assess the situation. The meeting was called by the director general of shipping. Government representatives will also attend the meeting.

The disaster occurred 44 nautical miles (81.5 km) from Kannur Azhikkal Port. The container exploded at 9.30 am yesterday. The ship caught fire around 12.40 pm. There were 22 people on board. The Navy brought 18 crew members, including the captain, who jumped into the sea in a lifeboat, to Mangalore. Although they were admitted to the hospital, the condition of two of the five people who suffered burns is critical, according to the Navy.

The accident occurred before the impact of the cargo ship that left Vizhinjam listed off in the waters off Kochi on May 25, subsided.