Expedition and freight forwarding solutions

Fire on a Containership Off the Coast of India

A major fire broke out aboard the Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged containership off India’s west coast. Of the 22 crew members, 18 have been rescued, while 4 remain missing. Two survivors are reported to be seriously injured.

The fire started in a container and quickly spread. The vessel was carrying hazardous materials, including flammable liquids, toxic substances, and self-combustibles. Explosions were reported onboard, and several containers fell overboard.

The situation remains critical — dense smoke is rising and the risk of secondary explosions is high.

ONE Marvel and MSC Ambra diverted to assist. Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships, along with aircraft, are actively working at the scene. Survivors are being taken to New Mangalore Port.

The deal includes two firm orders and an option for 2 more additional ones, each with a capacity of 3,000 TEU.

Founded in 2009, Hai An has 17 container ships in its fleet.

The company says it intends to expand its presence in the Mediterranean, Europe and the US West Coast in the coming years.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

China and Colombia should seize the latter's formal accession to the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to improve the quality and level of bilateral cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.

Xi Jinping made the statement during a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who is in Beijing to attend the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum /Community of Latin American and Caribbean States/.

After the meeting, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a cooperation plan between the two governments to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.