New Delhi, Jun 14: In a high-stakes maritime operation, the Indian Navy undertook a daring aerial insertion of a salvage team onto the fire-stricken container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 on June 13, significantly boosting ongoing rescue and salvage efforts.
The operation was launched from INS Garuda, the naval air station in Kochi, after the distressed cargo ship sent out an emergency alert. The vessel had caught fire in the Arabian Sea earlier this week and has since remained the focus of a multi-agency salvage operation involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Indian air force and other maritime responders.
Amid rough seas, adverse weather, and the ongoing blaze onboard the vessel, a team of Indian Navy specialists was airlifted aboard a Seaking helicopter. In a precision operation, the team was winched down onto the deck of the burning ship, navigating intense heat and hazardous conditions.
Once onboard, the salvage team successfully secured a towing connection between the MV Wan Hai 503 and the tugboat Offshore Warrior, enabling efforts to move the vessel to safer waters. Following the successful coupling, the team was extracted from the vessel by the same naval helicopter in a rapid extraction sequence.
The towing of MV Wan Hai 503 has now commenced, and Indian Navy ship INS Sharda, along with OSV MV Triton Liberty, are currently spearheading the coordinated salvage operation. Maritime authorities confirmed that the Navy’s swift aerial insertion and extraction significantly accelerated the efforts to stabilise and recover the distressed vessel.
The incident involving MV Wan Hai 503, an international container ship, highlights the growing importance of maritime emergency preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region. The vessel caught fire earlier this week en route through busy shipping lanes, prompting a large-scale response due to concerns over onboard cargo and environmental safety.
In recent years, the Navy has been increasingly called upon to respond to fires, mechanical failures, and pirate threats on merchant vessels transiting Indian waters. Authorities say the fire aboard the MV Wan Hai 503 is being brought under control and that no crew members have been reported as casualties. Further investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
