The movement of MV Wan Hai-503, the ship that caught fire and was drifting in the Arabian Sea unmanned for the last two days, is being contained by Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Samudra Prahari after connecting a towline with the ship, said a statement issued by the ICG here on Wednesday night.

In a daring operation under challenging situations and weather, ICG ship deployed a three-member team on an ICG Chetak helicopter, comprising of ICG diver and salvors from MERC onto the decks of MV Wan Hai-503.

The team then successfully secured the towing hawser on MV Wan Hai-503, defying all the odds. Though flames have significantly subsided, with residual smoke visible from the distressed vessel, fire remains active in the inner decks and near fuel tanks. Constant air sorties are being undertaken by ICG Dornier aircraft for sea-air coordination and real-time assessment. No new explosions were reported since early morning on Tuesday. The tilt of the vessel remains unchanged at 10-15 degrees to the port (left) side. ICG Ships Arnvesh, Rajdoot, and Kasturba Gandhi are undertaking an extended search for the four missing crew of the distressed vessel, said the statement.