Firefighting efforts intensify aboard Singapore vessel after explosion off Kerala coast
Kochi (PTI): Indian Coast Guard and other agencies are working around the clock to contain a large fire aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire earlier this week after a container exploded off Kerala coast while en route to Mumbai from Colombo.
"Around 40 per cent of the fire has now been brought under control. The vessel remains afloat but unmanned and is slowly drifting southeast in the Arabian Sea," according to updates shared by the Director General of Shipping.
In a major step forward, a team of salvage experts and Coast Guard divers managed to board the vessel.
This included the Salvage Master, who is now monitoring the situation from onboard.
Efforts now focus on keeping the vessel away from the coast and fully extinguishing the fire, the authorities said.
The firefighting efforts, focused on the ship's forward cargo holds, are being led by Indian Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Samarth.
They are using foam and boundary cooling to stop the fire from spreading.
"Hydrocarbon vapours have been observed by the salvage master, indicating possible heat transfer near fuel tanks. Continuous onboard assessments are being conducted to monitor any escalation," the DG Shipping said.
At the same time, Rajdoot, Arnvesh, Abhinav, and ICGS 513 are carrying out search and rescue operations in the area. Of the 22 crew members on board the vessel, 18 were rescued while four remain missing.
After an earlier attempt failed, a tow connection was successfully made between the cargo ship and the Emergency Towing Vessel Water Lily, as well as a Coast Guard asset.
This was achieved through joint efforts by the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) and ICG personnel.
Authorities say there is still risk due to hazardous cargo and hydrocarbon vapours near the fuel tanks.
However, officials from the Directorate General of Shipping say stabilisation work is ongoing, and daily meetings are being held with all involved, including the Indian Navy, maritime agencies, and the ship's owners.
The Coast Guard also flew in five team members-- including three salvage experts and two rescue divers --to support the operation.
Extra firefighting supplies, including more foam and dry chemical powder, are being sent in to assist the crew battling the blaze, officials said.
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Bridge portion collapses on Jammu outskirts; 3-4 labourers feared trapped, 1 rescued
Jammu (PTI): A portion of a small bridge collapsed in the Bantalab area on the outskirts of Jammu city on Friday, trapping at least three to four labourers under the debris, while one injured worker was rescued, official sources said.
Authorities have closed the road link following the collapse of the portion of the bridge.
The incident occurred when labourers were carrying out repair work on a retaining wall near the bridge that was damaged in last year's flash floods, the sources said.
According to the sources, a section of the bridge suddenly gave way, burying workers engaged at the site under the rubble.
Police, Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams launched rescue operations to extricate those buried under the debris. They pulled out one injured labourer and shifted him to a hospital, the sources said.
Family members of the labourers present at the site said around six workers engaged at the site at the time of the incident came under the debris when the structure collapsed. The family members said while two of the labourers managed to escape, four got trapped.
The sources said those trapped included the husband of a woman labourer, a mason, an unmarried labourer and a relative of the contractor.
There was no official confirmation on the exact number of persons trapped under the debris till the filing of this report.
The rescue operations are ongoing.
