Latest news with #AmitUniyal
12-06-2025
- General
Indian authorities attempt to tow container ship on fire with dangerous cargo
NEW DELHI -- The Indian Coast Guard was attempting to tow a container ship that caught fire off the coast of Kerala in southern India earlier this week to prevent a potential ecological disaster, Indian authorities said Thursday. The Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 was on its way to Mumbai, India's financial capital, from the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7 when it reported multiple explosions and a subsequent fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala on Monday. Indian authorities have not yet given a reason for the explosions and fire. Officials were focused on firefighting and preventing the vessel from drifting towards the Indian coastline. The 890-foot vessel carried 2,128 metric tons of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, India's defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night. 'With the fire yet to be fully extinguished, efforts to establish a towline to pull the vessel away from the coast are underway," the ministry said. 'The situation remains critical and is being monitored continuously.' The firefighting efforts have significantly reduced visible flames, but the fire remains active on the ship's inner decks and near the fuel tanks, the ministry added. Around 40% of the fire onboard the ship has been brought under control and the vessel remains afloat, according to a situation report by India's Directorate General of Shipping. The coast guard launched an aerial firefighting operation Thursday morning using a helicopter from the Indian air force, Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the coast guard, said. The helicopter dispersed 1,000 kilograms of dry chemical powder onto the core fire areas of the ship, he added. Shipping official Captain Harinder Singh told The Associated Press the vessel was carrying a total of 1,754 containers, including 143 with cargo deemed dangerous by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, such as flammable liquids, toxic substances and solid hazardous materials. The explosions and subsequent fire caused dozens of the ship's containers to fall into the Arabian Sea. The coast guard on Wednesday airdropped five people onboard the unaffected stern of the ship to coordinate towing operations and assess the overall fire situation. The coast guard successfully established a towline from the vessel to a coast guard ship to control its drift. Singh, who is closely coordinating the operation, said authorities were working to establish a second towline with Offshore Warrior, a more powerful offshore supply ship with greater towing capabilities. Towing is expected to commence later Thursday. The salvage master onboard the ship observed hydrocarbon vapors which indicates possible heat transfer near fuel tanks, the report said. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines. Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 abandoned the ship with assistance from the navy and coast guard. Four are still missing. The navy and coast guard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by two Dornier aircrafts. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. Five ships have also been sent to help put out the fire. Last month, a container vessel sank in another accident off the Kerala coast, releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea, and leaving authorities in the state scrambling to contain an oil spill.
Hamilton Spectator
12-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Indian authorities attempt to tow container ship on fire with dangerous cargo off southern coast
NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian Coast Guard was attempting to tow a container ship that caught fire off the coast of Kerala in southern India earlier this week to prevent a potential ecological disaster, Indian authorities said Thursday. The Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 was on its way to Mumbai, India's financial capital, from the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7 when it reported multiple explosions and a subsequent fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala on Monday. Indian authorities have not yet given a reason for the explosions and fire. Officials were focused on firefighting and preventing the vessel from drifting towards the Indian coastline. The 890-foot vessel carried 2,128 metric tons of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, India's defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night. 'With the fire yet to be fully extinguished, efforts to establish a towline to pull the vessel away from the coast are underway,' the ministry said. 'The situation remains critical and is being monitored continuously.' The firefighting efforts have significantly reduced visible flames, but the fire remains active on the ship's inner decks and near the fuel tanks, the ministry added. Around 40% of the fire onboard the ship has been brought under control and the vessel remains afloat, according to a situation report by India's Directorate General of Shipping. The coast guard launched an aerial firefighting operation Thursday morning using a helicopter from the Indian air force, Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the coast guard, said. The helicopter dispersed 1,000 kilograms of dry chemical powder onto the core fire areas of the ship, he added. Shipping official Captain Harinder Singh told The Associated Press the vessel was carrying a total of 1,754 containers, including 143 with cargo deemed dangerous by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, such as flammable liquids, toxic substances and solid hazardous materials. The explosions and subsequent fire caused dozens of the ship's containers to fall into the Arabian Sea. The coast guard on Wednesday airdropped five people onboard the unaffected stern of the ship to coordinate towing operations and assess the overall fire situation. The coast guard successfully established a towline from the vessel to a coast guard ship to control its drift. Singh, who is closely coordinating the operation, said authorities were working to establish a second towline with Offshore Warrior, a more powerful offshore supply ship with greater towing capabilities. Towing is expected to commence later Thursday. The salvage master onboard the ship observed hydrocarbon vapors which indicates possible heat transfer near fuel tanks, the report said. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines. Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 abandoned the ship with assistance from the navy and coast guard. Four are still missing. The navy and coast guard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by two Dornier aircrafts. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. Five ships have also been sent to help put out the fire. Last month, a container vessel sank in another accident off the Kerala coast , releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea, and leaving authorities in the state scrambling to contain an oil spill. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
12-06-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indian authorities attempt to tow container ship on fire with dangerous cargo off southern coast
NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian Coast Guard was attempting to tow a container ship that caught fire off the coast of Kerala in southern India earlier this week to prevent a potential ecological disaster, Indian authorities said Thursday. The Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 was on its way to Mumbai, India's financial capital, from the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7 when it reported multiple explosions and a subsequent fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala on Monday. Indian authorities have not yet given a reason for the explosions and fire. Officials were focused on firefighting and preventing the vessel from drifting towards the Indian coastline. The 890-foot vessel carried 2,128 metric tons of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, India's defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night. 'With the fire yet to be fully extinguished, efforts to establish a towline to pull the vessel away from the coast are underway,' the ministry said. 'The situation remains critical and is being monitored continuously.' The firefighting efforts have significantly reduced visible flames, but the fire remains active on the ship's inner decks and near the fuel tanks, the ministry added. Around 40% of the fire onboard the ship has been brought under control and the vessel remains afloat, according to a situation report by India's Directorate General of Shipping. The coast guard launched an aerial firefighting operation Thursday morning using a helicopter from the Indian air force, Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the coast guard, said. The helicopter dispersed 1,000 kilograms of dry chemical powder onto the core fire areas of the ship, he added. Shipping official Captain Harinder Singh told The Associated Press the vessel was carrying a total of 1,754 containers, including 143 with cargo deemed dangerous by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, such as flammable liquids, toxic substances and solid hazardous materials. The explosions and subsequent fire caused dozens of the ship's containers to fall into the Arabian Sea. The coast guard on Wednesday airdropped five people onboard the unaffected stern of the ship to coordinate towing operations and assess the overall fire situation. The coast guard successfully established a towline from the vessel to a coast guard ship to control its drift. Singh, who is closely coordinating the operation, said authorities were working to establish a second towline with Offshore Warrior, a more powerful offshore supply ship with greater towing capabilities. Towing is expected to commence later Thursday. The salvage master onboard the ship observed hydrocarbon vapors which indicates possible heat transfer near fuel tanks, the report said. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines. Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 abandoned the ship with assistance from the navy and coast guard. Four are still missing. The navy and coast guard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by two Dornier aircrafts. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. Five ships have also been sent to help put out the fire. Last month, a container vessel sank in another accident off the Kerala coast, releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea, and leaving authorities in the state scrambling to contain an oil spill.
Euronews
09-06-2025
- General
- Euronews
Fire breaks out on ship after explosion, Indian coastguard says
An explosion and subsequent fire were reported onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala in southern India on Monday, a spokesperson for the Indian Coastguard said. Of the 22 crew members onboard the MV Wan Hai 503, 18 abandoned the vessel with assistance from the Indian Navy and coastguard while four are missing, Commandant Amit Uniyal said in a statement. One of the rescued crew members sustained serious injuries. Two of the four missing are nationals of Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar, Uniyal said. The navy and coastguard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by a Dornier aircraft. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. A number of ships have also been sent to help put out the fire some 88 nautical miles (162 km) from the coast of Beypore in Kerala. "The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control," said Uniyal. "Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coastguard." He said they were working to establish the details of the ship's cargo and any potential risks it could cause. The 271-metre vessel left the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on 7 June and was set to arrive in Mumbai on Monday. The coastguard received a distress alert from the ship Monday morning reporting an explosion and subsequent fire inside one of the containers onboard. The fire later spread to other containers. The coastguard has not yet given the cause of the explosion and fire. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines, according to a statement from Singaporean authorities. Late last month, a Liberia-flagged container ship sailing between the Indian ports of Vizinjam and Kochi sank off Kerala. The state government issued a high alert in its coastal areas and asked fishermen not to venture near the site where the container ship, which carried hazardous cargo, had sunk. Ukraine and Russia have started a new prisoner of war exchange, following the agreement reached at the second round of direct talks in Istanbul last Monday. "Ukrainians are coming home from Russian captivity," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement. "Today the exchange began and will continue in several stages over the coming days. Among those being returned now are wounded and severely wounded prisoners, as well as those under 25," Zelenskyy added. Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed the return of the first group of Russian POWs as well, without providing details on the swapped soldiers. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said that the first group of released prisoners includes personnel from Ukraine's navy, ground forces, air force, national guard, border guard service, territorial defence, and special transport service. Among those returned on Monday are the defenders of Mariupol, who have spent over three years in Russian captivity. "Most of those returned were captured in the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022," Ukraine's ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. "We warmly welcome all who can now breathe the air of their homeland after years of captivity," Lubinets added. "Our team shares in the joy of the families who received that precious and long-awaited call." Kyiv didn't disclose the total number of POWs returned on Monday, citing security reasons. A few days ago, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine wanted to bring home 500 prisoners in the POW swap on Saturday and Sunday, which ultimately did not take place. Kyiv and Moscow agreed that the exchange would include young soldiers under 25 years old, the severely wounded and the seriously ill. The sides have also agreed to exchange the bodies of the fallen servicepeople. On Sunday, Russia accused Ukraine of postponing the swap and failing to respect the agreement. Moscow said that the trains carrying the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were due to depart towards the Ukrainian border, accusing Kyiv of "not collecting them". Russia's Lieutenant General Aleksandr Zorin told the state-run TASS news agency the transfer of 'more than 6,000 (Ukrainian) bodies' had been agreed during the talks in Turkey. Kyiv categorically denied the accusations. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian Defenсe Intelligence, said that Ukraine was strictly adhering to the agreements reached at the second round of talks in Istanbul. Budanov stated that the start of "repatriation measures" was scheduled to take place next week, which he claims the Russian side informed him of a few days ago. In his Sunday address, Zelenskyy accused Russia of "playing a dirty political and information game" on the agreed POW exchange. Kyiv says it has brought back over 5,000 prisoners of war in a series of exchanges since March. Ukraine continues to offer Russia an "all-for-all" swap — a proposal Moscow has so far rejected.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
4 Crew Members Missing After Cargo Ship Explodes and Bursts into Flames
The Singapore-flagged ship MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying 22 people at the time of the incident on June 9, the Indian Coast Guard said Of the four missing people, two are from Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and another is from Myanmar, according to a report Forty containers of cargo reportedly fell into the watersFour crew members are missing after a container ship off the coast of Kerala in southern India exploded and burst into flames, authorities said. The Singapore-flagged ship MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying 22 people at the time of the incident on Monday, June 9, Commandant Amit Uniyal of the Indian Coast Guard said in a statement, the Associated Press reported. Eighteen crew members abandoned the vessel and were rescued by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. Uniyal said that of the four missing people, two are from Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and another is from Myanmar, according to the AP. The Indian Coast Guard shared a post on X showing thick plumes of smoke emanating from the distressed vessel. The nearly 890-foot ship was traveling from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Mumbai, India, when the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., local time, as the 18 crew members jumped into the waters and were in rescue boats, according to The Independent. Officials said 40 containers fell into the Arabian Sea, Reuters reported. Authorities have not shared what may have caused the explosions and the status of the cargo. 'The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,' Uniyal said, the AP reported. 'Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coast guard.' According to The Independent, the MV Wan Hai 503 is overseen by Wan Hai Lines, a container shipping company based in Taiwan. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. PEOPLE contacted the Indian Coast Guard and Wan Hai Lines for additional information on Monday. Last month, a Liberian cargo vessel sank off the coast of Kerala, the Times of India reported. Officials said that based on a preliminary investigation, a mechanical failure caused the accident. Read the original article on People
