Oil spill from fire-damaged container ship may reach Kerala coast by June 14
As per the simulated forecast by INCOIS, the ocean information service provider under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the oil spill could begin washing ashore between Chavakkad and Kochi by June 14 and Ernakulam coast by June 15.
The simulation based on the presumed spill of 100 tonnes of fuel oil starting Wednesday (June 11) was conducted using advanced forecasting models by INCOIS. The agency has warned the state government of potential shoreline contamination and ecological damage owing to the oil spill and has advised immediate response from local authorities.
The warning comes three days after the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Wan Hai 503 caught fire following a container explosion on June 9, approximately 70 nautical miles off the Kozhikode coast. The vessel, which was en route to Mumbai's Nhava Sheva port from Colombo, remains unmanned and adrift.
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The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Smouldering Wan Hai 503 still adrift without a port of refuge
Nearly a month after the Singapore-flagged vessel Wan Hai 503 caught fire off the coast of Kerala, the vessel continues to be adrift, emitting fire and smoke and weathering stormy weather and rain in the Arabian Sea. Though the vessel is adrift approximately 130 nautical miles off the Indian coastline, outside the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary, the vessel continues to remain on a high-density shipping corridor, necessitating continuous traffic warnings to passing vessels. Plan not submitted An assessment conducted by the salvage team (T&T Salvage) stressed the need for a port of refuge, as removing fuel from the vessel offshore still remains unsafe. However, the owner and salvors of the ship are yet to submit a detailed plan to the Indian authorities for fuel transfer and moving the vessel to a port of refuge. If there's a delay in the salvage operation, the vessel has to be towed further south of its current position, around 200 nautical miles away from the Indian coast, according to the report of the Directorate General of Shipping. It is also necessary that the onboard fire has to be fully contained before it reaches the port of refuge. As per the latest report, the temperature on the left and right of the vessel was 64°C and 68°C, respectively. Speaking to The Hindu, a senior shipping crew said the weather in the Arabian Sea is the major hindrance to the containment of fire and smoke. The squally weather with wind, occasionally gusting to 100 km/hour, adds fuel to the fire. Further, it is not possible to apply fire extinguisher from the top of the ship since choppers can carry only a limited quantity. A good number of containers have undeclared cargo, which adds to the woes of the firefighters, he said. 'The best option' Once fire spreads to petrochemical products, it is difficult to contain it, said Sekhar Kuriakose, member secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. The monsoon rain will not help contain the fire. 'The best option is to find a port of refuge at the earliest before the hull disintegrates. Considering the current position of the ship, navigating it to the coast of Africa would be ideal,' said Mr. Kuriakose. It was on June 9 that the Singapore-flagged vessel witnessed container explosions causing a significant onboard fire, around 44 nautical miles from Azhikkal. The entire vessel was engulfed by the fire.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Andaman Sea jolted by three earthquakes in a day
The Andaman Sea was jolted by a third earthquake on Monday. The earthquake of magnitude 4.7 struck the region at around 12.06 pm today, as per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The Andaman Sea experienced a second earthquake of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter Scale today, with the tremors occurring at 11.22 am, just an hour after the first quake at 10:09 am.(Representational image) The seismic activity also occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, similar to the past two quakes in a day. In a social media post on X, the NCS wrote, 'EQ of M: 4.7, On: 30/06/2025 12:06:25 IST, Lat: 9.60 N, Long: 93.79 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Andaman Sea.' The Andaman Sea experienced a second earthquake of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter Scale today, with the tremors occurring at 11.22 am, just an hour after the first quake at 10:09 am. The social media post of NCS read, "EQ of M: 4.6, On: 30/06/2025 11:22:23 IST, Lat: 9.45 N, Long: 93.93 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Andaman Sea." Earlier today, an earthquake of magnitude 4.7 hit the Andaman Sea, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 10:09 am at a depth of 10 kilometres. In a social media post on X, the NCS wrote, "EQ of M: 4.7, On: 30/06/2025 10:09:03 IST, Lat: 9.43 N, Long: 94.17 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Andaman Sea." On June 25, an earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale struck the Andaman Sea, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). As per the NCS, the quake occurred at 01:43 am at a depth of 20 km, with its epicentre located at 9.46°N latitude and 94.07°E longitude. "EQ of M: 4.2, On: 25/06/2025 01:43:50 IST, Lat: 9.46 N, Long: 94.07 E, Depth: 20 Km, Location: Andaman Sea," National Centre for Seismology wrote on X. The Andaman Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall within Seismic Zone V, the highest risk zone in India. The Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt, which extends up to the Andaman-Nicobar island region, is known to be one of the world's seismically active belts, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
IMD issues heavy rainfall alert for Kerala from June 22-25
Kochi: IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for Kerala from June 22 to 25. A yellow alert was issued for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts on Sunday, and for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts on Monday. Squally weather with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, is likely to prevail over the east-central and adjoining areas of the northeast Arabian Sea, along with the Gujarat, Maharashtra, Konkan, and Goa coasts. An offshore trough runs from the north Konkan coast to the north Kerala coast. INCOIS has issued a yellow-level high wave alert for Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kannur, Kasargod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram districts on Friday. There was a respite from heavy rainfall in several places of the state for the last two days. According to the 24-hour rainfall recorded on Thursday morning, Chalakudy and Ponnani received 7cm of rainfall, while Vellanikkara, Piravam, and Idamalayar Dam received 6cm of rainfall. 17-year-old swept away in paddy field found dead A Plus Two student, who was swept away in the strong currents in a water-filled paddy field in Eraviperoor, was found dead on Thursday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The deceased Jero Abraham Sabu, 17, a Kattode native, went missing on Wednesday evening while taking a dip with his friends. The body was found on the bed of the paddy field around 7am by the voluntary rescue team from Erattupetta, 'Team Emergency'. The five-member group, including Jero, went to take a dip. While taking a bath, one of his friends was carried away by the water current. While trying to rescue his friend, Jero got trapped in the water current and later drowned. Hearing the commotion, locals rushed to the spot and managed to rescue his friend. However, fire force rescue unit and locals couldn't trace Jero. The deceased was a Plus Two student of the Balikamadom higher secondary school in Thirumoolapuram.
