Ship aflame off Beypore coast has cargo of hazardous substances; ship tilting: Reports
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Kozhikode: The Singaporean cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the coast of Beypore on Monday, was reportedly carrying 140 containers of hazardous materials, raising serious environmental and safety concerns.
Reports quoting Coast Guard sources also say that the ship is tilting to the left causing more containers to fall into the sea, raising anxieties about hazarous substances on board the vessel mixing with the sea water.
Operated by Wan Hai Lines and built to navigate the Panama Canal, the vessel measures 268.8 meters in length and 32.3 meters in width. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), 20 of the containers on board held highly flammable and toxic substances, including pesticides, self-igniting materials, and chemicals classified as dangerous goods.
Among the hazardous cargo were 800 drums used for weed and pest control, and a container carrying 27,786 kilograms of toxic chemicals, including ethyl chloroformate. Fears have been raised about the environmental risk of these materials leaking into the sea.
The ship also holds 20 containers of flammable solids. This includes two containers of nitrocellulose containing alcohol, 12 containers of naphthalene, one with flammable solid-liquid compounds, and four containing para-formaldehyde. In addition, organometallic substances on board are capable of igniting spontaneously upon contact with air, posing a serious risk to firefighting crews.
The intense danger from these chemicals has kept other vessels from approaching to assist in dousing the flames.
Rescue operations were launched immediately after the fire was reported. The Indian Coast Guard’s C-144 interceptor boat, carrying 15 crew members and a medical assistant, was dispatched to the site. The vessel also took part in the search for four missing crew members who jumped into the sea to escape the fire. Two ambulances were kept on standby, and medical support was arranged at both a private hospital and Medical College in Kozhikode city.
Since the rescuers were being transported on a large Navy ship, alternate arrangements were made to receive them from the open sea, as the vessel could not dock near the shore due to infrastructure limitations.
Initial reports had suggested that the damaged ship might be brought to Azhikkal, and an alert was issued there on Monday morning as the next possible port of call. However, due to logistical challenges, including the lack of suitable docking facilities and Coast Guard support, authorities decided against bringing the vessel to Azhikkal.