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Fire on MV Wan Hai 503 Contained as Kerala High Court Scrutinizes Salvage Costs

State judiciary has questioned use of public funds for cleanup after authorities contained the blaze aboard MV Wan Hai 503, with towing now under way off the Kerala coast

Fire continues to rage on ship
The Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught on fire on Monday off India's southern coast
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Overview

  • The blaze on MV Wan Hai 503 is the second major shipping disaster off Kerala coast within weeks, following the sinking of Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 on May 25.
  • A container explosion on June 9 sparked the fire while the vessel was en route from Colombo to Mumbai with 1,754 containers, including 143 carrying hazardous materials.
  • By June 12, Indian Coast Guard ships and an IAF Mi-17 helicopter had largely extinguished external flames, though dense smoke indicates residual internal heat and metallic fire risks.
  • A salvage team boarded the unmanned ship to stabilize it and secure a towline, rescuers retrieved 18 crew members and continue searching for four still missing.
  • Kerala High Court has questioned use of public funds for firefighting, salvage and cleanup operations and urged that shipping companies bear financial liability.