Drift and Oil Spill Advisory Issued After Fire on Container Ship Off Kerala Coast

Kochi: The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued advisories warning of drifting containers and the risk of an oil spill following a major fire on the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Wan Hai 503. The ship caught fire on June 9 while sailing off the Kerala coast.
The vessel, en route to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai from Colombo, experienced an explosion in one of its containers, triggering a massive fire approximately 70 nautical miles off Kozhikode. The ship is currently adrift.
In response, INCOIS activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to monitor the potential drift of containers, debris, or any individuals who may have gone overboard. Based on current simulations, there is a 70–80% probability that drifting objects will move south-southeastward from the incident site over the next three days.
"Simulations show that the containers are likely to continue drifting in the ocean for the next three days and may take longer to reach the coast. However, there is a risk of some containers beaching between Kozhikode and Kochi. The situation is being closely monitored, and updated drift directions will be provided," INCOIS stated.
Local authorities have been advised to increase coastal surveillance and alert nearby communities to the potential for navigational and shoreline hazards.
Alongside SARAT, INCOIS has also deployed its Oil Spill Trajectory System to simulate the movement of a hypothetical 100-ton bunker oil spill from the vessel. Although the exact quantity of any leakage remains uncertain, forecast models suggest that, if a spill has occurred, the oil would drift parallel to the coastline from June 10 to June 13.
"At approximately 1600 hours on June 12, the spill is projected to maintain this trajectory. By 1600 hours on June 13, the pollutant is expected to have moved further in a parallel direction along the coast," the advisory said.
The alert includes visual projections of the possible oil drift, showing both floating and beached oil particles, with continuous monitoring underway.