Over 40 per cent of the blaze on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M V Wan Hai 503, which had exploded 44 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore on June 9, has been contained. This was stated in the latest 'situation report' (SITREP) issued by the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy and Directorate General of Shipping.

According to the SITREP issued last night (June 11), the vessel is located about 65 nautical miles (one nautical mile is 1.852 kilometres) off the Indian coastline, beyond the 1000-metre depth contour that marks the boundary between the continental shelf (which slopes gently) and the continental slope (which slopes steeply). "The vessel remains unmanned and adrift, drifting in a south-southeasterly direction at approximately one knot (one nautical mile per hour)," the SITREP said. 

Wan Hai 503 remains afloat but continues to emit smoke. The fire has been suppressed primarily in the forward bays; the bay is an area where the cargo of a ship is held. Though no "structural compromise" has been reported, the SITREP said that "ongoing thermal and gas risks exist near the affected compartments."

The backside, the stern, remains clear, providing a potential window for forward or backward towing. The SITREP said that firefighting and boundary cooling operations continue in the forward bays where the fire originated. "The Indian Coast Guard is coordinating with salvors to establish the most effective point to connect a towline, likely at the stern (back) or bow (forward part) depending on evolving conditions," the SITREP said.

Towline connection will be attempted only after the entire fire is put out.

A total of five tugs and support vessels are now engaged in firefighting and container recovery. "Tug Saroja Blessing is equipped with 80 kg of firefighting foam and is expected to be loaded with an additional 1000 kg foam firefighting compound," the SITREP said. In the next two days, international firefighting specialists from Spain, the UK and the Netherlands are also expected to arrive. The supply of foam and dry chemical powder (a fire extinguishing agent) have also been ensured.

Initially, the risk of fire escalation looked real as the ship held approximately 2000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel oil in tanks located adjacent to the fire zone.

The other major hazard is the drifting containers. "Floating containers have been visually confirmed drifting southeast of the vessel's position (away from the Kerala coast)," the SITREP said. The recovery is led by salvage teams. Additional supply vessels are also being deployed for container search and retrieval.

The floating containers are a traffic hazard. As a risk mitigation measure, the SITREP said that "discussions are ongoing on the feasibility of sinking containers that pose navigational threats".

Coast Guard's Rajdoot, Arnvesh and Abhinav are engaged in search and rescue operations for the four missing crew members. Of the 18 crew members rescued, two are in the hospital and the remaining 16 have been put up in a hotel in New Mangalore.

MV Wan Hai 503 had 1754 containers onboard, 1083 under deck and 671 on the deck. Of this, 143 containers were carrying IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) cargo. These include flammable liquids, flammable solids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion, substances that emit flammable gases when in contact with water, toxic substances, corrosive substances and other dangerous substances and articles.