Latest news with #ShekharKuriakose
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Fire in container ship off Kerala contained considerably, inner decks still burn
After three days of sustained firefighting, the Coast Guard said the massive blaze on the Singapore-flagged vessel M V Wan Hai-503 has been considerably contained. The Coast Guard said its ship deployed a three-member team comprising divers and salvors in a Chetak helicopter to the deck of the vessel. It said they successfully secured the towing hawser (a rope or cable used to tow vessels) on the ship, connecting it to the Coast Guard ship Samudra Prahari, which now contains its movement. This prevents the ill-fated container ship from drifting to the coast. Once two or three tow lines are placed, it will be handed over to tug boats, which will pull the vessel away from the coast. The Coast Guard said the salvors were from the Marine Emergency Response Centre of Vishwakarma Mechanical Works, Gujarat. 'The container vessel continues to drift approximately 42 nautical miles off Beypore in Kerala within the exclusive economic zone of the country. The ship, which is carrying 2,128 MT of fuel and hazardous cargo, still poses an environmental risk. The Coast Guard, with air and sea assets, has largely contained the fire. Inner decks still burn. Salvors winched onboard to aid towing. Unfavourable seas persist. Focus remains on extinguishing the blaze and preventing a marine disaster,'' the Coast Guard posted on X. Kerala Disaster Management Authority member Secretary Shekhar Kuriakose said securing the towing hawser on a burning ship is 'a significant achievement.' Four Coast Guard ships — Samudra Prahari, Sachet, Vikram, and Samarth — with helicopters, are positioned around the vessel for firefighting and coordinating pollution response in case of any oil or chemical spill. Residual smoke is still visible from the distressed vessel. Ships Arnvesh, Rajdoot and Kasturba Gandhi are undertaking search operations for the 4 missing crew of the vessel. An official communication said, about 24 containers had fallen off the vessel and are likely floating or have sunk. The Single Point Mooring owned by Bharat Petroleum has been asked to keep a close watch to deflect any floating containers to prevent damage to the installation.
Epoch Times
10-06-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Explosions, Fires on Singapore-flagged Cargo Ship in Indian Ocean
KOCHI, India—Multiple explosions and fires erupted on a cargo ship bound for India's financial capital, Mumbai, on Monday, causing 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames, officials said. The Singapore-flagged WAN HAI 503 met with an accident about 90 miles off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala, said Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of the state's disaster management authority.
Gulf Today
10-06-2025
- General
- Gulf Today
Explosions, fires on cargo ship off India's Kerala coast
Multiple explosions and fires erupted on a cargo ship bound for India's financial capital Mumbai on Monday, causing 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames, officials said. The Singapore-flagged WAN HAI 503 met with an accident about 144km (90 miles) off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala, said Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of the state's disaster management authority. "According to preliminary information ... there were 22 workers on board the ship ... 18 jumped into the sea and are in rescue boats. Efforts are underway to rescue them," he said, adding that the vessel was not "currently sinking". Pictures and videos shared by the Indian coast guard on X showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship, and some containers lying open and in disarray near the point where the smoke was escaping. Officials said, around 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames. "Vessel is presently on fire and adrift," a defence ministry public relations officer said on X. Officials did not disclose the nature of the cargo in the containers, nor what caused the explosions. A container vessel sank in another accident off Kerala last month, releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea. The directorate general of shipping said on Friday there were no reports of oil pollution because of that incident. Reuters
DW
09-06-2025
- General
- DW
India rescues crewmembers from burning cargo ship off Kerala – DW – 06/09/2025
A cargo ship en route to Mumbai erupted in flames, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel off the southern coast of India. While some crew were plucked to safety, a search operation is underway for missing crew members The Indian Coast Guard deployed four vessels to rescue crew members from the burning Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503, which was on fire approximately 144 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Kerala in southern India. The crew reported an explosion followed by a fire onboard on Monday morning. The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Video footage captured from a Coast Guard aircraft showed large plumes of black smoke billowing from the vessel. Crew members jump overboard to escape flames The fire reportedly spread to multiple containers, prompting the crew to abandon ship and take to life rafts. "According to preliminary information ... there were 22 workers on board the ship ... 18 jumped into the sea and are in rescue boats. Efforts are underway to rescue them," said Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of the state's disaster management authority, according to Reuters. One of the rescued sailors is reported to have sustained serious injuries. Four crew members, a Taiwanese national, two Indonesians, and one from Myanmar are still unaccounted for, with a search operation currently underway. Edited by: Kieran Burke
Dubai Eye
09-06-2025
- General
- Dubai Eye
Explosions, fires on cargo ship off India's Kerala coast
Multiple explosions and fires erupted on a cargo ship bound for India's financial capital Mumbai on Monday, causing 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames, officials said. The Singapore-flagged WAN HAI 503 met with an accident about 144 km off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala, said Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of the state's disaster management authority. "According to preliminary information... there were 22 workers on board the ship... 18 jumped into the sea and are in rescue boats. Efforts are underway to rescue them," he said, adding that the vessel was not "currently sinking". Pictures and videos shared by the Indian coast guard on X showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship, and some containers lying open and in disarray near the point where the smoke was escaping. "Vessel is presently on fire and adrift," a defence ministry public relations officer said on X. Officials did not disclose the nature of the cargo in the containers, nor what caused the explosions. A container vessel sank in another accident off Kerala last month, releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea. The directorate general of shipping said on Friday there were no reports of oil pollution because of that incident.
