Indian authorities attempt to tow container ship on fire with dangerous cargo off southern coast

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.