Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) personnel have managed to tow the burning MV Wan Hai with a Coast Guard tug board, Water Lily, but the firefighting operations have not managed further fire suppression than what was achieved by the salvage team on June 10. Even on the night of June 11, the latest for which information is available, only 40% of the billowing flames have been doused.

The tow boat will pull the burning ship away from the India coast. But the threat of more explosions rather than subsiding has heightened. "Salvage master (the professional leading the salvage operations) observations confirm ongoing hydrocarbon release, with potential involvement of the fuel tanks," the latest situation report (SITREP) issued by Kerala State District Management Authority on the night of June 11 after taking written and verbal inputs from Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Navy, Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), and salvage partners.

This was a clear hint that the fire is already creating combustible atmosphere over the burning ship but also that there is a real danger of the fire coming into contact with the fuel tank.

The salvage master, supported by personnel from MERC and ICG rescue divers, is onboard the vessel. The SITREP suggests an escalation of danger because of the sustained fire. "Hydrocarbon vapours have been observed by the salvage master, indicating possible heat transfer near fuel tanks," the report says. Hydrocarbon vapours are gaseous compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen, like those found in crude oil, natural gas, and gasoline. They are flammable and can be ignited by heat, sparks, or open flames.

Continuous onboard assessments are being conducted to monitor any escalation. The fire remains active but is under steady control due to ongoing boundary cooling and firefighting efforts. "Firefighting efforts continue in the forward cargo holds (where the fire originated) with boundary cooling and foam-based suppression being carried out by ICG vessels Samudra Prahari and Samarth," the SITREP said.

The vessel remains structurally afloat but poses continued risk due to hazardous cargo onboard. MV Wan Hai 503 had 1754 containers onboard, 1083 under deck and 671 on deck. Of these, 143 containers were carrying IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) cargo.

The contents include goods of various IMDG classes, most prominently of classes 3 (flammable liquids like propanol, diacetone alcohol, resin solution, paint, dicyclopentadiene, printing ink and methyl methacrylate monomer), 4.1 (flammable solids like paraformaldehyde, crude or refined naphthalene), 4.2 (substances liable to spontaneous combustion like organometallic substance and liquid pyrophoric), 4.3 (4.2 goods that emit flammable gases wen in contact with water), 6.1 (toxic substances like chloroanilines, ammonium metavanadate, ethyl choloroformate, bipyridilium pesticide, dimethyl sulphate and dichloromethane), 8 (corrosive substances like methacrylic acid, phosphoric acid, phosphorous pentoxide and maleic anhydride), and 9 (Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles like copper iodide, guanidine, and trichlorobenzene).

DGS warns of criminal proceedings 

The Director General of Shipping (DGS) on June 11 expressed serious disapproval of the response initiated by the owner (Wan Hai International) and the salvors (T&T Salvage). "Despite the severity of the incident, no firefighting assets or tugs have been deployed, no equipment has reached the site, and the salvage assets still remain absent, DGS Shyam Jagannathan said in a missive shot to Wan Hai International on June 11.

The DGS also termed as "unacceptable" the decision of T&T Salvage to keep a salvage vessel (Offshore Warrior) without adequate fuel to carry out the salvage operation near the incident site. A vessel with insufficient fuel was worthless except to project an impression of aggressive salvage operations. "While it is understood that the salvors may have positioned the vessel at the incident site to secure the salvage contract, the concealment of such information is entirely unacceptable," the DGS said in his letter.

He then issued a stern warning to the owners of MV Wan Hai against any further delay or dereliction of duty in deploying appropriate firefighting and salvage operations. The Singapore-based Wan Hai International was told that the Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai, would not hesitate to "initiate criminal liability proceedings" if there was further delay.

The ICG has managed to tow the burning ship but to pull it away from the Kerala coast, Offshore Warrior has to help.