Kochi/Mangaluru, June 10: A coordinated rescue operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard saved 18 crew members from a burning Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, after an onboard explosion triggered a major fire off the coast of southern India on Monday.
The container ship, en route from Colombo to Mumbai with 22 crew on board, caught fire around 9:20 a.m. after a container exploded approximately 78 nautical miles off the Beypore coast in Kerala. The vessel was carrying hazardous cargo, including flammable and toxic substances, authorities said.
As the fire rapidly engulfed the ship, crew members abandoned the vessel in life rafts. Indian Navy ship INS Surat was diverted to the location and rescued 18 sailors from the sea. The survivors were brought to New Mangalore Port at 10:45 p.m. on June 9.
Six crew members were injured, including two in critical condition, and were admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru. The critically injured were identified as Lu Yanli and Sonitur Haeni, while four others sustained minor injuries. The remaining rescued crew were accommodated at a local hotel, Mangaluru police said.
The missing include two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, and one Myanmarese national, who remain unaccounted for despite ongoing search operations involving Dornier surveillance aircraft and Coast Guard ships with firefighting and pollution control capabilities.
Nearby merchant vessels MV Ambra and MV One Marvel also responded to the distress call under the International Safety Net protocol, coordinated by India’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai.
Preliminary assessments suggest several containers may have fallen overboard during the incident. As of Monday evening, the vessel remained adrift with fire still on board. Authorities have issued navigational advisories in the vicinity and are monitoring potential environmental risks.
India’s Directorate General of Shipping has directed the vessel’s owners to deploy salvage experts and submit regular updates. The Flag Administration of Singapore has also been notified.
