The containership Wan Hai 503, which was left adrift in the Arabian Sea for almost 11 weeks after suffering a deadly fire, is now being towed toward a port in the Middle East.
The 4,333 teu vessel caught fire on June 9 following an explosion under deck while sailing from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, about 50 nautical miles off India’s Kerala coast. Four crew members lost their lives and six others were injured.
Although salvage teams brought the blaze under control and cooled the damaged cargo holds, the ship was denied entry to ports in both India and Sri Lanka. By late June, Indian authorities had ordered the vessel out of their exclusive economic zone, leaving it stranded at sea without refuge.
Wan Hai confirmed on August 25 that the ship’s structure and stability had been assessed as safe for towage. The passage across the Arabian Sea is being managed with weather-routing systems, while Jebel Ali and Khorfakkan are reported as possible destinations.
Photo: Indian DGS
