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."