Wan Hai 503 struggles to secure port of refuge

Over a month after an explosion and fire ripped through the Singapore-registered Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Kerala on 9 June the smouldering vessel remains in limbo.

The Wan Hai 503 is still under tow outside India’s EEZ after the Indian authorities refused to grant the vessel port of refuge. Instead, the Indian Directorate of Shipping ordered the ship be towed away from the coast and out of the country’s EEZ while firefighting operations were still underway.

Latest reports indicate that salvors T&T Salvage are continuing to try and stabilise the vessel in challenging conditions. The fire onboard the ship has never been fully extinguished and smouldering continues in some of the vessel’s cargo holds. De-watering of the vessel’s hull also continues.

As previously reported Sri Lanka is the preferred option for port of refuge, however securing approvals is proving far from easy. It is understood while the China Merchants run port of Hambantota has agreed allow the vessel to berth the Sri Lanka authorities are concerned the damaged vessel might sink in a repeat of the X-Press Pearl casualty in 2021.

In the case of the X-Press Pearl the Sri Lankan authorities refused to give the container ship port of refuge after a cargo fire erupted on the brand-new vessel in May 2021. An explosion ripped through the vessel causing it to later sink off Sri Lanka’s coast, and the legal cases over pollution caused in the incident continue drag on the country’s courts. The vessel’s Master, a Russian-national, has still not been allowed to leave Sri Lanka.