Gunpowder, acids, and lithium batteries found inside burning Singapore ship; 154 containers reportedly contain hazardous materials

The Singaporean cargo ship Wanhai 503 is on fire while en route from Colombo to Mumbai. The ship caught fire in the bay, about 90 km west of the Beypore-Azhikal ports. The Kerala coast has once again been in fear that the containers that fell into the sea from inside the ship contain dangerous chemicals.

The fire has not been extinguished even after hours. If the efforts of the Coast Guard and the Navy to put out the fire are not successful, the ship is likely to sink completely. In that case, the containers inside the ship will fall into the sea. It is reported that the 154 containers on the Singaporean ship contain dangerous materials including acids, gunpowder and lithium batteries.

Meanwhile, two more Coast Guard ships have arrived and are continuing their efforts to put out the fire on the ship. The ships Saket and Samudra Prahari are at the scene. If the ship sinks, there is a high possibility of oil spillage and toxic chemicals being mixed in the sea. This could lead to a major disaster.

The burning ship is being towed into the deep sea using a toy tug. This is to prevent any danger closer to the shore. The containers that have fallen into the sea are likely to move in a south-southeast direction. The oil slick from the ship is likely to move parallel to the Kerala coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that some of the containers from the ship that caught fire are likely to hit the shore between Kozhikode and Kochi in the next three days and caution is required.