Wan Hai 503 exploded off Kerala, ITOPF flags leakage risk
A container ship, Wan Hai 503, caught fire and exploded off the Kerala coast in June 2025, raising concerns about pollution along the shoreline.
ITOPF's container risk assessment says if the ship's cargo containers leak over time, materials could end up in the sea.
The ship was eventually towed away to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.
Draft oil spill contingency plan prepared
Wan Hai 503 was loaded with everything from plastic resins, food, and chemicals.
Some of this cargo might sink, but lighter stuff like plastic pellets could float ashore and mess with local beaches and marine life.
Plastic nurdles are especially worrying since fish can eat them by mistake.
Because of this incident (and another recent shipwreck), a draft Oil Spill Contingency Plan has been prepared to better protect its coast if something like this happens again.