Fire breaks out on container ship after explosion, Indian coastguard says

Published on 09/06/2025 - 18:49 GMT+2

An detonation and consequent occurrence were reported onboard a Singapore-flagged instrumentality vessel disconnected nan seashore of Kerala successful southern India connected Monday, a spokesperson for nan Indian Coastguard said.

Of nan 22 unit members onboard nan MV Wan Hai 503, 18 abandoned nan alloy pinch assistance from nan Indian Navy and coastguard while 4 are missing, Commandant Amit Uniyal said successful a statement.

One of nan rescued unit members sustained superior injuries.

Two of nan 4 missing are nationals of Taiwan, 1 is from Indonesia and 1 from Myanmar, Uniyal said.

The navy and coastguard person launched a hunt cognition for nan missing, aided by a Dornier aircraft.

The navy uses Dornier craft chiefly for maritime surveillance, hunt and rescue operations.

A number of ships person besides been sent to thief put retired nan occurrence immoderate 88 nautical miles (162 km) from nan seashore of Beypore successful Kerala.

"The alloy is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts person commenced to bring nan business nether control," said Uniyal.

"Saving lives of nan unit successful distress, firefighting and mitigating situation hazard remains nan privilege for coastguard."

He said they were moving to found nan specifications of nan ship's cargo and immoderate imaginable risks it could cause.

The 271-metre alloy near nan Sri Lankan larboard of Colombo connected 7 June and was group to get successful Mumbai connected Monday.

The coastguard received a distress alert from nan vessel Monday greeting reporting an detonation and consequent occurrence wrong 1 of nan containers onboard.

The occurrence later dispersed to different containers.

The coastguard has not yet fixed nan origin of nan detonation and fire.

The alloy is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines, according to a connection from Singaporean authorities.

Late past month, a Liberia-flagged instrumentality vessel sailing betwixt nan Indian ports of Vizinjam and Kochi sank disconnected Kerala.

The authorities government issued a precocious alert successful its coastal areas and asked fishermen not to task adjacent nan tract wherever nan instrumentality ship, which carried hazardous cargo, had sunk.