Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 14 : In a high-risk and heroic operation, the Indian Navy successfully conducted an aerial insertion of a salvage team onto the fire-stricken MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged container vessel that has been ablaze in the Arabian Sea since June 9.
The salvage team, deployed via a Seaking helicopter from INS Garuda in Kochi, was winched down onto the burning vessel on June 13 under challenging weather and sea conditions.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Navy said:
“In a daring operation, #IndianNavy successfully undertook aerial insertion of the salvage team onboard distressed vessel MV Wan Hai 503… amidst challenging weather & sea conditions, and fire onboard.”
Once on board, the salvage crew connected a tow line to the Salvage Tug Offshore Warrior, enabling towing operations to commence. The team was later extracted safely by a Naval helicopter.
The operation marks a critical turning point in efforts to prevent an environmental disaster. The MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hazardous cargo across hundreds of containers, posing a grave threat to marine ecosystems and regional shipping lanes.
The vessel caught fire approximately 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala.
Supporting the operation, INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty have been actively coordinating with the Indian Coast Guard and other maritime agencies.
“INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged with India Coast Guard & other maritime agencies to augment the salvage ops,” the Navy added in its statement.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) also announced a significant breakthrough:
“Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV Wan Hai 503 and protect the marine environment! ICG ships enabled the tow connection of the Salvage vessel in an extremely challenging operation,” read an ICG post on X.
The successful tow aims to move the burning vessel away from the Indian coast, reducing the environmental risk and preventing disruption to shipping traffic in the Arabian Sea.
With firefighting operations ongoing, this joint effort by the Indian Navy, ICG, and allied agencies underscores India’s strong commitment to maritime safety and environmental protection.