WAN HAI 503

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

'Wan Hai 503 to be towed to the Middle East

The 'Wan Hai 503' is going to be towed to the Middle East as the shipping company continued to search for a port of refuge. The vessel has been at sea for 78 days since the fire began on June 9. The move toward the Middle East came after Sri Lanka rejected an application for the vessel to be berthed, while India had, shortly after the fire began, ordered its ports not to accept the vessel. At present, the vessel’s stability, structural integrity, and draft, together with the route assessed using weather-routing software, met the requirements for safe towing. The shipping company Wan Hai. said the process will be closely monitored to ensure a safe and smooth arrival at the designated port of refuge. Last week, Hapag-Lloyd, which had cargo aboard the ship, gave an update putting its position approximately 177 nautical miles from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and close to the Indian EEZ boundary.. For the past few weeks, the salvage reports have indicated that there were no visible flames or signs of fire, although one hold continued to show minor signs of smoldering. Temperatures have also been lowered aboard the ship. Salvors were able to board the ship and undertook the efforts to dewater the holds and engine room. The ship is going to be towed approximately 1,800 nautical miles crossing the Arabian Sea. The UAE has large, deep-water ports that can serve as a refuge. It also has the container handling capabilities to clear the debris from the vessel. After the fire was extinguished, nearly everything on the forward two-thirds of the ship in front of the deck house and bridge had been damaged. A few containers on the stern appeared to have been blocked from the fire by the deckhouse.

Burnt out ship still under tow without destination

The 'Wan Hai 503' remained stable and under close monitoring. The vessel was still being towed by the salvage team and is located in waters near the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary as of Aug 15. The salvage team was in the process of liaising with potential ports of refuge. Decisions on the final port of refuge will take into account the overall suitability for the vessel as well as the handling of fire-damaged cargo. the The ship was 130 nautical miles from the Indian coast off Cape Comorin. The plan was to move it further out to sea, while discussions continued on a port of refuge. This has continued, although the area is subjected to monsoons at this time of year. There was no clear determination for the direction of the ship and a potential resolution. It has been suggested it might be towed to the Middle East. Hapag-Lloyd, which shared cargo aboard the ship, confirmed on Aug13, that the request for a port of refuge in Sri Lanka has been declined by the authorities.

Fire reportedly out after two months

After two months, the fire aboard the 'Wan Hai 503' has been finally extinguished as of Aug 6. This came after several weeks, when the fire - according to the shipping company - has been under control, but where there have still been flames and smoke from the ship. The current status was that the firefighting authorities were monitoring the temperature on board to ensure that the fire did not flare up again. In addition, there was still some firefighting water on board that will be handled so that the ship does not risk capsizing. The shipping company has not yet announced the cause of the fire.The four missing crew members have not been found. The Wai Hai Lines had contracted the salvage company T&T Salvage to coordinate the efforts to extinguish the fire on board.