WAN HAI 503

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

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.

Bid for port of refuge in Sri Lanka fails

The Wai Hai Lines, the owners of the 'Wan Hai 503', have failed in a bid to secure port of refuge in Hambantota in Sri Lanka. While the China Merchant’s run port had agreed to take the 'Wan Hai 503', sources indicated that agreement with government authorities over conditions to bring the vessel into the country’s waters for salvage operations could not be reached. The Sri Lankan authorities did not outright reject the application for the 'Wan Hai 503', however, asked for a Letter of Undertaking (LoU) on the salvage operation to the value of $3.25 billion, a figure which massively exceeded normal limits of liability. As a result, the application for port of refuge has not proceeded. With the failure to agree port of refuge in Hambantota it leaves the 'Wan Hai 503' with the salvors onboard offshore India and Sri Lanka and adrift on the high seas. Other potential options for a port of refuge in Southeast Asia and the Middle East continued to be explored, with Penang ibeing the most promising at present. With Hambantota in Sri Lanka the port operator in Penang has agreed to take the vessel, but again approval from government authorities will be required. There are concerns over the safety of the damaged vessel in a lengthy towage operation across the Indian Ocean that would coincide with the monsoon season.