According to a statement issued by the Defence PRO, "The fire started after an explosion in one of the containers at around 9:30 am. Following the explosion, the fire spread to other containers, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel and take shelter in life rafts"
The ship was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai, carrying 22 crew members. Pic/Defence PRO
A massive fire broke out onboard the Singapore-flagged container vessel 'Wan Hai 503', about 88 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore in Kerala, an official statement said on Monday.
The ship was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai, carrying 22 crew members, it said.
According to a statement issued by the Defence PRO, "The fire started after an explosion in one of the containers at around 9:30 am. Following the explosion, the fire spread to other containers, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel and take shelter in life rafts."
It said that the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) responded quickly, diverting assets to coordinate rescue operations. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai also diverted a nearby merchant vessel, MV One Marvel, to assist.
As of 12:40 pm, 18 crew members were rescued from a lifeboat. One of them sustained serious injuries, and four crew members are currently missing -- including two Taiwanese nationals, one Indonesian, and one from Myanmar.
A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft is providing aerial support and real-time updates, it said.
"Indian Navy in a closely coordinated Search And Rescue operation with the Coast Guard, DG Shipping and other stakeholders, has safely rescued 18 out of 22 crew members Singaporean Flagged MV Wan Hai 503. The MV had reported internal container explosion and resultant major fire onboard. The inputs of the incident were received at IFC IOR at about 09:30 hrs on June 9, 2025. INS Surat and a Dornier aircraft were immediately deployed by the Indian Navy to render necessary assistance, and at about 1630 hr, 18 out of 22 crew members were safely rescued by Surat. First aid has been rendered to the injured crew members and the ship is presently proceeding to New Mangalore for disembarkation and further medical management," an official statement said.
The Indian Coast Guard is in constant communication with DG Shipping, the vessel’s owners, and state authorities to manage the situation and prevent the vessel from drifting towards the coast, a statement said.
Officials confirmed that every effort is being made to control the fire and locate the missing crew members, it said.
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