In just one month, another Chinese vessel has encountered danger in Indian waters.
On the afternoon of July 6 local time, the Hong Kong, China-flagged product/chemical tanker “Fulda” (built in 1999) suffered a severe explosion near Kandla, India. At the time of the incident, the vessel was en route from Kandla to Sohar Port, Oman, and the explosion occurred while the ship was conducting gas-freeing operations.
The “Fulda” departed Kandla Port at 11:00 Indian Standard Time. Subsequently, at 13:05 the same day, the nearby vessel “Team Focus” was the first to report the explosion. The explosion caused the “Fulda” to list severely, initially tilting 22 degrees to starboard before shifting to a portside list during stabilization efforts. By 19:00 that evening, the situation on board continued to deteriorate, and the captain ordered a full evacuation.
All 21 crew members were successfully evacuated via the tug “Orchid Star” dispatched by Indian authorities. The crew consisted of 11 Chinese nationals, 2 Bangladeshi nationals, 1 Indonesian national, and 7 Myanmar nationals. There were no casualties.
Om Prakash Dadlani, the Public Relations Officer of the Deendayal Port Authority, confirmed the details of the incident: “The ‘Fulda’ departed after completing methanol discharge at Oil Jetty No. 2, bound for Oman. We received a report of an explosion on board but observed no flames or thick smoke. There were 21 crew members in total. The Maritime Response Coordination Committee has alerted the Coast Guard. Coast Guard and Port Authority personnel arrived promptly at the scene, and the rescue team successfully evacuated all crew members.”
The Indian Coast Guard immediately dispatched the patrol vessel “ICGS C-429”, two high-speed interceptor boats, and the pollution control vessel “Samudra Pavak” to the scene, along with two additional tugs for support.
At the time of the incident, the “Fulda” was carrying 384 tons of fuel oil. Although no signs of fuel leakage have been detected so far, Indian authorities have activated environmental protection emergency mechanisms as a precaution against marine pollution. Currently, the “MV Fulda” remains afloat with no water ingress reported.
It is understood that the “Fulda” is a 19,477 DWT product/chemical tanker, built and delivered in 1999, making it 26 years old. Currently, the vessel is owned by the Hong Kong, China-based company Sinda Ship Management and is classed with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK).
The cause of this accident remains uncertain. Preliminary analysis suggests the explosion may be related to improper handling of flammable vapors during the gas-freeing operation. It is understood that gas-freeing is a critical gas replacement process for ships transporting hazardous chemicals to prevent explosions. It involves injecting inert gas into cargo tanks that have already been inerted, further reducing oxygen levels and/or flammable vapor concentrations to prevent the subsequent ingress of air from creating a combustible atmosphere.
Considering the “Fulda” had just unloaded a cargo of methanol before the accident, inadequate purging and ventilation during the gas replacement process could easily lead to the formation of an explosive mixture of flammable vapors and air. Furthermore, inadequate electrostatic grounding measures or aging equipment could also generate sparks that ignite the gas.
In recent months, frequent vessel accidents have occurred in Indian waters. Just a month ago, on June 9, the 4252 TEU medium-sized container ship “WAN HAI 503” of Wan Hai Lines exploded and caught fire approximately 80 km southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, India. The accident caused at least 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 were rescued, while 2 Taiwanese crew members, 1 Myanmar crew member, and 1 Indian crew member remain missing.
The fire on the “WAN HAI 503” burned for several days before finally being brought under control on June 12. According to an incident update released by Wan Hai Lines on July 3, as of now, slight white smoke is still visible from some cargo holds of the “WAN HAI 503”, but the vessel’s condition is stable. The ship has been towed to the southwestern monsoon area of India and awaits inspection and on-site assessment by salvage personnel once the temperature cools and safety is confirmed.
Less than a week after the “WAN HAI 503” incident, on June 12, the 3055 TEU container ship “Interasia Tenacity” (built in 2024), operated by Interasia Lines, caught fire while en route to the Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai. Fortunately, only one container on deck caught fire. The captain subsequently reported to Indian authorities that the crew had controlled the fire and no further assistance was needed. The accident resulted in no casualties.
On June 29, the Palau-flagged 3602 DWT oil tanker “Yi Cheng 6” caught fire in the Gulf of Oman near India. At the time of the incident, the vessel was sailing from Kandla to Shinas, Oman, when a fire broke out in the engine room. The fire quickly became uncontrollable, damaging the main engine and causing a complete power failure. The vessel was carrying 14 Indian crew members.
Upon receiving the ship’s distress signal, the Indian Navy dispatched a rescue team. Nine crew members from the “Yi Cheng 6” were safely transferred, while the remaining 5 crew members assisted the naval firefighting team. Together with 13 naval personnel, they successfully brought the fire under control. No one was injured in the incident, and the fire was ultimately contained.
Furthermore, on May 25, the 1728 TEU container ship “MSC Elsa 3” (built in 1997), operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company, capsized and sank off the coast of Kerala, India, after developing a severe list. All 24 crew members were rescued, and no casualties were reported.
