/newsfirstprime/media/agency_attachments/2025/07/28/2025-07-28t111554609z-2025-07-23t100810984z-newsfirst_prime_640-siddesh-kumar-h-p-1-2025-07-23-15-38-10-2025-07-28-16-45-54.webp)
Follow Us
/newsfirstprime/media/post_attachments/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ship-accident.jpg)
A major maritime emergency unfolded on June 9, 2025, when the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire 78 nautical miles off Beypore, Kerala, en route from Colombo to Navi Mumbai. The blaze, reported at 10:30 AM, has engulfed the 270-meter vessel, which remains adrift, emitting thick smoke. Of the 22 crew members, predominantly Taiwanese, 18 have been rescued, but four remain missing. Five crew members sustained injuries, two critically, and abandoned the ship using lifeboats and rafts.
Also Read:Flying buses for Bengaluru? Centre mulls high-tech solution to urban traffic woes
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard promptly mobilized, dispatching one Navy Dornier aircraft and two Coast Guard Dorniers for aerial monitoring and to deploy life rafts.
Breaking: Another tragedy. Massive explosion aboard container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off Kerala coast.
Fire breaks out, containers fall into the sea. 18 crew rescued, 4 missing, 5 injured. Indian Navy & Coast Guard in action.#Kerala#ShipFire#MVWanHai503#IndianNavy… pic.twitter.com/0VHFytiAmF
— Capt_Cibeesh (@cibeesh)
Breaking: Another tragedy. Massive explosion aboard container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off Kerala coast.
Fire breaks out, containers fall into the sea. 18 crew rescued, 4 missing, 5 injured. Indian Navy & Coast Guard in action.#Kerala#ShipFire#MVWanHai503#IndianNavy… pic.twitter.com/0VHFytiAmF— Capt_Cibeesh (@cibeesh) June 9, 2025
">June 9, 2025
Five Coast Guard ships, including specialized firefighting vessels, are expected to reach the site by 4 PM, with a naval warship arriving by 5 PM. Nearby merchant vessels, MV ONE MARVEL and MV AMBRA, are assisting in rescue operations, with MV ONE MARVEL set to transfer survivors to Mangaluru for medical care. District authorities in Kozhikode and Ernakulam are preparing hospitals for the injured.
Concerns loom over potential hazardous cargo, with 10-15 containers possibly lost overboard. The ship’s owners, managed by Wan Hai Lines, have been urged to disclose the cargo’s nature and engage SMIT Salvage for expert firefighting support. The Singapore Flag Administration and India’s Directorate General of Shipping are coordinating the response, warning of explosion risks and navigational hazards. Maritime traffic has been advised to steer clear and reduce speed.
Kerala’s disaster management authority reports no immediate coastal impact, but the situation remains critical as firefighting and search efforts continue.
