On June 19 at 6 a.m. the 'Wan Hai 503' was in pos. 09°40.74'N, 075°04.96'E, approximately 72 nautical miles off the Kerala coast, on a south-southeast drift course of 150° at a speed of 1.6 knots. The weather conditions have marginally improved, with westerly winds ranging from 12 to 17 knots and reduced rainfall, offering relatively stable conditions for the ongoing operation. The ship was currently emitting white smoke from the forecastle through the midship area, while light grey smoke persistsednear the starboard side of the accommodation block. No flames have been observed on the port side. These developments indicated a gradual reduction in the fire intensity, although localised smouldering remains in isolated compartments. Firefighting and boundary cooling operations were being carried out in rotation by the 'Saksham' and 'Water Lily', with firefighting teams maintaining continuous fire watch across critical zones. Towing responsibilities were successfully transferred from the 'Offshore Warrior' to the 'Boka Winger', which was maintaining the vessel’s position offshore. The transition was completed at 09.32 a.m. with assistance from the 'Water Lily'. The 'Offshore Warrior' has departed for Kochi to replenish fuel, provisions, and onboard supplies and is expected to return to station upon completion of turnaround. Reinforcement efforts continued to be executed in a phased manner, both at sea and from port. Saroja Blessing, having completed bunkering and crew replacement, has been redeployed and is en route to re-join the site operations. The vessel is being specifically tasked with supporting the connection of the second towline. The 'Garnet' has been temporarily released to Kochi and may return for drone-based thermal imaging and logistics support. Simultaneously, a 13-member firefighting team has boarded the 'Offshore Warrior' and is scheduled to attempt stern boarding of the casualty once the tug has returned. The plan was to utilise non-helicopter means for boarding where possible, though ICG support remained on standby for winching operations if required. Efforts were underway to install two 125kVA generators aboard the casualty using tug-based transfer, to restore onboard emergency power for firefighting equipment and internal access systems. Onshore, the Directorate has coordinated with port and customs authorities to expedite vessel clearances and facilitate immigration procedures for incoming international salvage personnel. Discussions are also being held with local agencies to enable flexible vessel use for returning salvage crew, minimising procedural delays. The fire containment continued to progress steadily, with a marked reduction in heat signatures as recorded by thermal imaging. Temperatures within affected zones have dropped below 175°C, and visible fire activity remains isolated to smoke emissions, suggesting successful boundary cooling. Nonetheless, the structural integrity of the fire-impacted areas, particularly around the midship and forward compartments remained a concern. Sustained FiFi operations remained critical in this window to suppress residual heat and prevent re-ignition as weather conditions fluctuate. The towing stability is currently being maintained by the 'Boka Winger' with the aim of positioning the vessel further offshore in anticipation of monsoonal weather patterns. The establishment of a second towline remained a high priority to ensure redundancy. The 'Saroja Blessing' has been tasked with this responsibility, and a messenger-wire-based approach is under consideration for safer and more durable wire rope deployment. Contingency plans for replacing the existing towline—suspected to have degraded—are also under active evaluation. Strategic discussions regarding a Port of Refuge continued. Hambantota (Sri Lanka) has emerged as the preferred destination due to WAN HAI’s prior commercial association with the terminal operator, a relatively short transit distance of approximately 480 nautical miles, and preliminary willingness expressed by the port operator. However, formal clearance from thr Sri Lankan authorities remainrf pending. Jebel Ali and Bahrain ertr being evaluated as alternative options. Criteria being assessed includef fire suppression capacity, structural inspection infrastructure, scrap cargo handling ability, and waste/water disposal facilities. Additionally, geopolitical and navigational factors such as avoidance of the Strait of Hormuz and monsoonal exposure are being carefully weighed. SAR operations for the four missing crew members have been concluded as per protocol. The Kochi Police have now requested that WHL provide the profiles of the missing crew members to facilitate identification. Additionally, they have asked for DNA and fingerprint data to support further investigation. At present, the identification of the recovered body has not yet been confirmed or completed. Thoughthe local police have informed that the body recovered ashore showeds a high probability of being linked to one of the missing Indonesian crew members. The confirmation was awaited through further identification measures being coordinated by the shipowner with the family. The P&I Club was in the process of establishing a single contact window for claims processing and has assured continued support to affected parties. The Directorate General of Shipping continued to coordinate the multi-agency emergency response, providing operational leadership, resolving procedural delays, and ensuring resource availability, while maintaining regular communication with MoPSW and all concerned authorities. Report with photo: https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2025/06/20/van-hai-ship-fire-cargo-shipping-agents-under-surveillance-dri.html
News
EAGLE S
Three officers of the 'Eagle S', who have been detained in Finland since Christmas Day after their ship severed multiple subsea cables in the Baltic Sea, could be charged with criminal offenses within the next two months, according to Jukka Rappe, Finland’s deputy prosecutor general, who said that the prosecutors expected to make their decision over whether to bring charges against the men by August at the latestt. The NBI announced on June 13 that its criminal investigation had been completed and had upheld the suspicions of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with telecommunications. The suspects, who were believed to be Georgian nationals, were the three most senior officers on board the Russia-linked oil tanker. The ship was seized by Finnish authorities after dragging its anchor along the seafloor for almost 62 miles, amid concerns over Russian sabotage and subversion activities in Europe. The rest of the crew and the ship were freed to depart in March. According to Finland’s Criminal Code, which does not contain a specific offense for sabotage, aggravated criminal mischief carries a minimum prison sentence of two years and a maximum of 10, while the sentence for aggravated interference with telecommunications ranges between four months and five years. The decision to formally charge the three men rests with prosecutors. Pre-trial investigation of the 'Eagle S case has been completed, and the case transferred to the Office of the Prosecutor General for consideration of charges. The Eagle S had also been investigated by Traficom, the Finnish transport and communications agency, which dentified deficiencies aboard, both in terms of its crew accommodation and the general maintenance of the ship, particularly in regards to fire safety, navigation equipment and pump room ventilation.
BAMBERG
On the morning of June 18, 2025, the motor yacht "Joy" reported water ingress in the Baltic Sea, en route from Świnoujście to Peenemünde. At around 8:20 a.m., the MRCC in Bremen requested the "Bamberg" for assistance., which changed course and sent the patrol boat "Navis 206" to the reported position, about five nautical miles south of Greifswalder Oie. At 8:50 a.m., the "Navis 206" reached the "Joy." An officer boarded and determined that the flooding had stopped. The cause was a defective seawater cooling water line. Shortly thereafter, the sea rescue cruiser "Berthold Beitz" arrived and took the "Joy" in tow. The operation ended at 9:21 a.m.
CELEBRITY EDGE
The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska started investigating the near-allision between the 'Celebrity Edge' and the cruise ship 'Costa Luninosa' during the thunderstorm on June 16, with heavy rain, hail, and winds in the Port of Juneau, causing it to break free of its mooring lines at the privately operated AJ Dock.It stopped just short of the allision when the ship could be stabilized and dropped an anchor. Nobody was injured, and there didn’t appear to be any significant damage. The Coast Guard officials have received some video footage from ship guests and residents, who experienced an unusual weather event for the season, suddenly turning from blue skies to dark clouds and low visibility. The 'Celebrity Edge' left the port the same day en route to Ketchikan, where it arrived on June 20. Report with video: https://cruiseradio.net/coast-guard-investigates-near-collision-close-call-after-ship-breaks-mooring/
CORNISHMAN PZ512
An MAIB investigation into the death of a deckhand aboard the 'Cornishman' on Feb 66, 2021, has revealed a chain of critical safety failures. The crew member was struck and killed by a falling trawl beam on the trawler 44 nautical miles south-southwest of the Isles of Scilly. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report details how the port trawl beam, which had been hoisted to allow the crew to repair the fishing gear, fell suddenly. A second deckhand was also struck and sustained minor injuries. The investigators uncovered other issues that created the conditions for this fatal accident. The vessel’s risk assessments were found not to be followed, and stated mitigations were ineffective, placing the crew at risk while working under a suspended load. The chain type was unsuited to marine operations, where the saltwater environment caused environmental cracking. The supplied chain had been unsuccessfully tempered during manufacture, which resulted in a high level of hardness and low ductility. Additionally, the chain’s installation caused it to be led over a fixed pin, which introduced bending stresses to the chain links that were compromised due to corrosion and cracking. In response to the findings, safety recommendations have been issued to the regulator, the vessel’s owner, and the chain’s manufacturer to prevent a recurrence of the accident. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been recommended to update the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment) Regulations 2006 guidance to state the training requirements and accreditation of competent persons carrying out lifting equipment inspections. It has also been advised to update its training and guidance to surveyors to improve their ability to check compliance with these regulations during vessel inspections. The vessel’s owner, W. Stevenson & Sons Limited has been recommended to ensure compliance with the lifting equipment regulations; review and update its risk assessments, confirm with chain suppliers and/or chain manufacturers before purchase that the selected chains are suitable for their intended use, and implement the Fishing Safety Management Code for its fleet. The Capital Group FASING S.A., Poland, the chain manufacturer, has been recommended to conduct a thorough review and amend its chain quenching and tempering process to ensure product quality.