Among the 22 crew members, 18 have been rescued, and four— identified as two Taiwanese nationals, one Indonesian, and one Myanmarese — remain missing, with search efforts underway.
Published Jun 09, 2025 | 2:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 09, 2025 | 3:46 PM
Cargo ship catches fire near Kerala coast. (Supplied)
Synopsis: On 9 June, a fire and explosions struck Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 off Kerala’s coast. Of 22 crew, 18 were rescued and four remain missing. Around 50 containers fell into the sea. Indian Coast Guard and Navy launched rescue and firefighting efforts. The vessel remains adrift, with no coastal threat reported yet. Authorities continue to monitor the situation.
A Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, ran into trouble while it was sailing within Kerala’s maritime limits, around 40 km west of the Beypore-Azhikkal stretch, and around 144 km northwest of the Kozhikode coast in the Arabian Sea, on Monday, 9 June, with multiple explosions and a fire reported onboard.
According to Indian Coast Guard, a distress alert around 9.30 am from the ship. It was sailing from Colombo to Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai. The vessel had 22 crew members on board, and carrying roughly 650 containers.
The crew, predominantly of Taiwanese nationality, have abandoned the ship, 10 escaped in lifeboat and eight in life raft.
According to the Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre, around 50 containers are believed to have fallen into the sea.
The Indian Coast Guard has launched emergency response operations, and along with Navy teams have returned to the vessel as part of ongoing rescue and firefighting efforts.
Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet, Arnvesh, Samudra Prahri, Abhinav, Rajdoot and C144 are involved in the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy diverted INS Surat and planned to do sortie from INS Garuda. India Coast Guard has also deployed multiple assets including CG Dornier aircraft for rescue and assessment.
🚨 On 09 Jun 25, fire incident reported onboard Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 , 78 NM off #Beypore.⁰🔹 @indiannavy diverted INS Surat & planned DO sortie from #INSGaruda.⁰🔹 @IndiaCoastGuard deployed multiple assets including CG Dornier for rescue &… pic.twitter.com/rf7n6gfLA6
— PRO Defence Kochi (@DefencePROkochi) June 9, 2025
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Mumbai, diverted merchant vessel MV One Marvel, which managed to rescue 18 crew members. Of those rescued, five have sustained injuries, out of whom two crew members have suffered severe burns.
However, four crew members — identified as two Taiwanese nationals, one Indonesian, and one Myanmarese — remain missing, with search efforts underway.
Incident location. (Supplied)
The vessel is adrift and has been completely engulfed by fire. Initially, the Indian Coast Guard instructed the vessel to alter course in a north-westerly direction, away from the Indian coast, conditions permitting.
The vessel remains adrift at sea, and firefighting operations are underway. Authorities are currently assessing the nature of the cargo on board to evaluate potential risks.
The fire presents a significant risk of further explosions and potential structural compromise. Any drifting containers or resulting navigational hazards will be assessed upon the arrival of Indian Coast Guard assets. All nearby maritime traffic has been alerted, and vessels in the vicinity have been advised to reduce speed.
While the vessel is under the direct management of Wan Hai Lines, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is providing the necessary details. The vessel’s owners have been directed to immediately appoint a professional salvor and firefighting expert.
Additionally, the owners have been requested to urgently assess and report the nature of the cargo in the affected hold to determine the presence of any hazardous materials. At present, there is no confirmed information on whether dangerous goods were involved in the explosion.
Explosions reported on MV Wan Hai 503. (Supplied)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed the State Disaster Management Authority to coordinate with the Ernakulam and Kozhikode District Collectors to arrange medical treatment for the rescued crew if they are brought to the Kerala coast.
The Indian Coast Guard added that it is coordinating closely with the Directorate General of Shipping, state authorities, and the vessel’s owners to manage the situation and prevent the vessel from drifting towards the coast.
Meanwhile, KSDMA clarified that it has not received any intimation from the Indian Coast Guard regarding potential risks to the state’s coastal areas following the fire onboard a ship at sea.
Officials said the situation is being closely monitored, and should the Coast Guard flag any threat, immediate alerts and safety advisories will be issued to coastal communities.
“We’re in constant touch with maritime agencies. As of now, there’s no cause for alarm,” a senior official confirmed.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar, and Sreelakshmi Soman)
