Almost three months after a fatal fire on board the Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Indias Kerala state, the stricken vessel has arrived in the UAE and has been allowed to take refuge at Port Jebel Ali.

“DP World and thes Authority in Dubai have approved the vessel’s refuge in Port Jebel Ali,” said Wan Hai Lines. “The vessel is expected to be towed into late on Sept 11.”

Preliminary assessments “have shown that the vessel’s seaworthiness and structural integrity are secured with no imminent risk,” the company said. “Upon the vessel’s arrival in port, all inspections and procedures will be carried out as per the requirements of the relevant authorities.”

Salvors boarded the Wan Hai 503 on Sept 10, as the vessel approached the UAE through the Strait of Hormuz and reported that no signs of smoke were found.

The start of container inspections and offloading is expected in October. The boxes and cargo at the bow of the were badly damaged in the fire, although the containers aft of the accommodation area appear to have sustained relatively light damage based on images of the ship.

The granting refuge by Port Jebel Ali brings the long-running incident to an end, after the stricken vessel had been forced to drift at sea.

【Rec of the incident】

On June 9, the Wan Hai 503, while sailing off the coast of the Indian state of Kerala, suffered explosion in its cargo hold which quickly spread to engulf the entire vessel, with several crew members reported missing or dead.

Despite the incident occurring off the coast Kerala, Indian authorities still ordered the container ship to leave Indian waters, while salvors were still trying to fight the blaze on board.

The shipowner then planned divert to seek refuge in Sri Lanka, with the Port of Hambantota initially agreeing to receive the vessel. However, the plan fell through when Sri Lankan authorities a guarantee letter of $325m, far exceeding normal limits of liability for salvage operations.

This apparently left only two options: Penang in Malaysia Dubai’s Jebel Ali, although either would require a long-distance tow in difficult conditions. Ultimately, the shipowner decided on Dubai, and the Wan Hai503 was successfully towed from Sri Lankan waters on August 25, arriving in the UAE on Sept 11