The Singapore-flagged container vessel MV WAN HAI 503 has been successfully towed beyond India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and, as of June 30, is located approximately 130 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi, where emergency response operations continue following a catastrophic fire earlier this month.
The vessel is maintaining a steady course of 290° at 0.8 knots, with drift being controlled through coordinated towing efforts led by Offshore Warrior. Light smoke continues to emanate from cargo hold No. 4, although no visible flames have been reported.
“The fire remains under control, but the presence of plastic cargo in hold No. 4 still poses a smoldering risk,” authorities noted in their latest situation assessment.
Dewatering efforts are ongoing, with five pumps actively discharging water from the flooded engine room and adjacent compartments. The source of flooding is believed to originate from compartments located between the engine room and cargo hold No. 3.
An inter-agency response is underway, involving multiple support vessels. Additional assets, including Atlantis Virgo and SCI Panna, are en route with 7,000 liters of Pyrocool and specialized firefighting equipment expected to bolster suppression efforts.
“The continuous operation of five pumps has yielded positive results in mitigating engine room flooding, but full dewatering remains essential for damage assessment and restoration of emergency power systems,” officials added.
Discussions are ongoing regarding port sheltering, with formal documentation being submitted. However, final approvals depend on vessel stability, successful extinguishing of smoldering fires, and safe completion of dewatering.
The incident began on June 9, 2025, when a series of explosions and fires aboard the ship caused approximately 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued, five were injured, and four remain missing — including two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia. Search operations for the missing crew are still underway.
The vessel remains in a high-traffic maritime corridor between Sri Lanka and the Gulf of Aden, prompting continuous navigational warnings to passing ships. Indian Coast Guard assets continue to provide aerial and maritime monitoring of the site.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the explosions or the nature of the cargo in the affected containers, which are owned and managed by the Singapore unit of Taiwanese shipping company Wan Hai Line.
