4 Crew Members Missing, 18 Rescued as Explosion Rocks Cargo Ship Off Kerala Coast
A massive search and rescue operation is underway after an explosion and subsequent fire broke out on a Singapore-flagged container ship, MV Wan Hai 503, off the coast of Kerala on Monday morning. Four crew members are reported missing, while 18 others have been rescued from the vessel, which was last reported to be on fire and adrift.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Indian Navy have deployed multiple ships and aircraft to assist the distressed vessel. The explosion occurred around 10:30 am, reportedly in the ship’s underdeck, while it was approximately 70 nautical miles (about 130 km) west of Beypore in Kozhikode.
The 270-metre-long vessel, carrying containerised cargo, had departed from Colombo on June 7 and was en route to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, with an expected arrival on June 10. Following the blast, a fire engulfed parts of the ship, forcing the crew to abandon it.
Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 were successfully rescued by a passing merchant vessel, MV Juist Trader, which responded to the distress call. However, one of the rescued members is reported to be critically injured. The four missing crew members include two Taiwanese nationals, one Myanmar national, and one Indonesian national.
The Indian Navy immediately diverted its frontline warship, INS Surat, which was scheduled to dock in Kochi, to provide assistance. An Indian Navy Dornier aircraft was also launched from INS Garuda in Kochi to assess the situation and coordinate support efforts.
The Indian Coast Guard has mobilised several assets, including ships ICGS Rajdoot, ICGS Arnvesh, and ICGS Sachet from New Mangalore, Kochi, and Agatti, respectively. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft on another task was also diverted to the location. These units are engaged in firefighting efforts and are conducting an extensive search for the missing crew members.
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. The Directorate General of Shipping has been informed, and further updates on the rescue and firefighting operations are awaited.
This incident comes just a month after a Liberian ship capsized and sank off the coast of Alappuzha, Kerala, triggering a major environmental concern and a statewide shore cleaning operation, which the state government declared a ‘state-specific disaster’.
