Singapore-flagged container ship sailing out of Sri Lanka has been in search of a port of refuge since June
Burned out box ship WanHai 503 is being towed by a salvage team towards the Middle East, according to Wan Hai Lines.
“At present, the vessel’s stability, structural integrity, and draft – together with the route assessed using weather-routeing software – meet the requirements for safe towing,” the ship operator said, noting, “The entire process will be closely monitored to ensure a safe and smooth arrival at the designated port of refuge.”
However, the Wan Hai Lines statement said that a “specific port of refuge is still under consideration”.
In early June 2025, explosions and a fire broke out on Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503 as it sailed in the Arabian Sea, off India’s southern state of Kerala. Explosions were reported from below deck and a fire erupted from containers in the cargo hold and spread to other containers. Four of the vessel’s crew went missing and are presumed dead, and the vessel remains in search of a port of refuge for intensive salvage operations.
Fire-fighting vessels and salvors fought the major blaze that ripped through the container ship off the Indian coast after most crew members were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.
On 12 June 2025, the fire on Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503 appeared out of control with more than half of the containers damaged or still burning and much of the 2005-built ship severely damaged.
Wan Hai 503 had begun to list from the displacement of cargo and weight of water, according to images and video published by the Indian Coast Guard on social media. At the time, given the extent of fire damage, the 42,532-gt ship was thought to be at risk of sinking before the blaze was extinguished, but the ship has remained afloat.
The vessel was refused entry to ports in both Sri Lanka and India, with India ordering the vessel out of its waters in late June.
According to automatic identification system (AIS) information, the 269-m ship, with a beam of 32 m, left Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 7 June and was en route to Nhava Sheva, due 10 June.
The Wan Hai fire began just two weeks after Liberia-flagged container ship MSC Elsa 3 listed then sank off India, with all 24 crew members rescued.
