At least four crew members were missing and five others injured after explosions and fires aboard a Singapore‑flagged container ship off the coast of India’s southern state of Kerala.
The incident occurred around 10.30 am local time (5.00 am GMT) on Monday aboard the MV Wan Hai 503, a 270‑metre cargo vessel travelling from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Mumbai, India’s commercial capital.
The ship was located roughly 130 nautical miles (240km) west of Beypore, a port town in the southern state of Kerala, when explosions were reported from below deck, prompting a large-scale rescue operation by the Indian Navy and coast guard.
Eighteen crew members initially abandoned the ship into life rafts. Defence officials confirmed that the Indian Navy and Coast Guard coordinated to rescue all 18 from the sea.
One of the rescued crew later succumbed to injuries, local officials told The Times of India.
Four crew members still unaccounted for include nationals from Taiwan, Indonesia and Myanmar, according to local maritime authorities.
Photographs and videos shared by Indian authorities showed plumes of smoke rising from the deck of the MV Wan Hai 503, with multiple containers on fire and emergency teams coordinating the rescue effort from sea and air.
Quick response by @IndiaCoastGuard after explosion on #Singapore flagged MV #WANHAI503, 130 NM NW of #Kerala coast.
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 9, 2025
➡️ #ICG aircraft assessed the scene & dropped air-droppable
➡️ 04 #ICG ships diverted for rescue.#MaritimeSafety #ICG #SearchAndRescue pic.twitter.com/xVPEShbU8h
The Indian Navy diverted warship INS Surat from a scheduled deployment to respond to the incident, it said.
A Dornier surveillance aircraft was launched from INS Garuda naval air station in Kochi to locate drifting crew and assess the fire.
Authorities said the ship, carrying about 650 containers, had departed Colombo on 7 June and was scheduled to reach Mumbai by 10 June. The blaze broke out while the vessel was deep in the Arabian Sea, in waters southwest of India’s western coastline.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying 22 crew members in total.
At least 20 shipping containers fell overboard amid the blaze, but there is no confirmed information yet on the presence of hazardous cargo
Search and rescue teams continued combing the waters west of Kerala on Monday evening. An investigation into the cause of the explosions is underway.
The MV Wan Hai 503 is operated by Wan Hai Lines, a Taiwan-based shipping company. The firm has not yet issued a public statement.
