Coast Guard Battles Fire on Drifting Cargo Ship Off Kerala

12 Jun 2025 CW Team

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) winched five salvage experts and an aircrew diver onto the burning Singaporean container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, on 11 June 2025 to support emergency towing operations. The ship, which caught fire on 9 June off the coast of Kerala, is still drifting south-east within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, about 42 nautical miles from Beypore.

The vessel is laden with 2,128 metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous materials, raising serious concerns about marine pollution and navigational hazards. While ICG’s sustained firefighting operations have largely reduced visible flames, smoke continues to emanate from the cargo holds, with the blaze still active in inner decks and near fuel storage areas.

Currently, five Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, and a helicopter are deployed for firefighting, aided by two support vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping. The salvage team, appointed by the ship’s owners, is working closely with the Coast Guard, while the Indian Air Force has been asked to provide additional aerial support.

Efforts are underway to attach a towline and steer the vessel away from the coastline to mitigate environmental damage. The situation remains critical and is under constant observation by maritime authorities.

Infrastructure Urban

17 Sep 2025

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..