Follow Us;Resize=(820,462) "ICG battling fire on MV WAN HAI 503")
An Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopter was deployed with a specialized team consisting of a pilot and two aircrew divers. The team discharged 1,000 kg of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) onto the heart of the blaze, targeting the critical zones of the fire.
Kozhikode: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its determined operation on Thursday to douse the fire on cargo vessel MV WAN HAI 503, even as rough sea conditions hampered efforts. The vessel caught fire earlier this week off the Indian coast, prompting a high-alert response from multiple agencies. An Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopter was deployed with a specialized team consisting of a pilot and two aircrew divers. The team successfully discharged 1,000 kilograms of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) onto the heart of the blaze, targeting the most critical zones of the fire.
ICG closely monitoring situation
To prevent the vessel from drifting closer to the coast and mitigate potential environmental damage, the ICG has secured it with a towline and is closely monitoring the situation. The container vessel, en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, on June 9 experienced an explosion in its underdeck near position 315 Kochi 130. Following the incident, four crew members were reported missing, while five others sustained injuries. The ship was carrying containerised cargo and had a total crew of 22 on board. The State Disaster Management Authority reported that the vessel caught fire 144 km northwest of Kozhikode. This location is 70 nautical miles from Beypore and 40 nautical miles from Azhikkal.
According to plastic surgeon Dr Dinesh Kadam, a Chinese national with 40 per cent burns and an Indonesian citizen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are being closely monitored. Both patients require more time in the ICU, whereas the condition of the other four crew members is stable. One of the crew members will be discharged from the hospital, whereas others will stay because of the impact and facial burns caused due to the accident.
 "Asianet Newsable English")