Container ship catches fire off Kerala coast; Navy, Coast Guard rescue 18 crew, four still missing
KOCHI, JUN 9 : A major fire broke out on board the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 on Monday, around 130 nautical miles (approximately 144 km) northwest of Kozhikode.
The 270-metre-long ship was sailing from Colombo to Mumbai and was expected to reach its destination on June 10.
The fire, reportedly triggered by multiple explosions, caused about 20 containers to fall into the sea. The vessel had 22 crew members on board, most of them Taiwanese nationals. Eighteen crew abandoned the ship in life rafts. Four remain missing. The ship’s captain has stayed onboard, according to initial reports.
The Indian Coast Guard responded quickly, deploying aircraft to assess the situation and drop emergency supplies. Four ICG ships were diverted to the scene, and Indian Navy assets have also been mobilised. The vessel remains on fire and adrift, but it has not sunk.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the Kozhikode and Ernakulam district administrations to prepare for medical support if crew members are brought ashore.
Responding to the emergency, the Western Naval Command diverted INS Surat, which had been scheduled to dock in Kochi, to assist the distressed vessel. The naval ship was rerouted at approximately 11 am, Defence PRO sources confirmed.
This is the second maritime incident off Kerala in recent weeks. On May 25, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 sank 14 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, releasing hundreds of containers, including 13 carrying hazardous materials, into the sea.
-PTI
