The Wan Hai Lines container ship Wan Hai 503 is reportedly stable and remains under close monitoring. The vessel is currently being towed by the salvage team and is located in waters near the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary, according to a statement by the shipping company Wan Hai Lines on August 15.
“We, in close coordination with our appointed experts, and the salvage team are in the process of liaising with potential ports of refuge,” the company noted in its update, adding that decisions on the final port of refuge will take into account the overall suitability for the vessel as well as the handling of fire-damaged cargo.
The Singapore-flagged containership Wan Hai 503 caught fire approximately 80 km southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, India on June 9 at about 1230hrs Singapore time.
Wan Hai Lines notified relevant authorities and media that earlier that same day, during its voyage in the Indian Ocean 54 nautical miles off the west coast of India, the Singapore-flagged vessel reported a fire on board after detecting thick smoke.
The 2005-built vessel, managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd., had 22 crew members onboard at the time. As it is reported, there were no Singaporeans onboard.
Dramatic pictures and videos shared by the Indian coast guard on social media platform X showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship.
The vessel, which was en route to Nhava Sheva, had departed Colombo on June 7 and was expected to arrive in Nhava Sheva on June 10, according to Marine Traffic data.
The company said on August 5 that the fire aboard Wan Hai 503 has been completely extinguished. There were no reports for oil pollution.
