A fire broke out aboard the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 on Monday morning, approximately 78 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala. The incident occurred around 10:30 am, reportedly following an explosion. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The vessel had departed Colombo on June 7 and was scheduled to arrive at Mumbai port on Tuesday.
Indian Navy diverts INS Surat, aerial assessment underway
The Indian Navy acted swiftly, diverting the indigenously built destroyer INS Surat to the site of the incident. An aerial sortie was also planned from INS Garuda to assess the situation and extend support. Navy officials in Kochi confirmed that these measures were initiated soon after receiving the distress alert.
Coast Guard deploys Dornier, mobilises rescue vessels
The Indian Coast Guard launched a multi-pronged response by deploying a Dornier aircraft for aerial reconnaissance and evaluation of crew safety. Simultaneously, vessels from the nearest Coast Guard stations were mobilised to assist in firefighting and rescue operations.
20 containers lost at sea; crew members evacuated
At the time of the fire, MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying approximately 650 containers. About 20 containers are reported to have fallen overboard into the Arabian Sea. The vessel was manned by nearly 40 crew members. Preliminary inputs suggest that 18 of them jumped into the sea during the incident.
No confirmed injuries or casualties have been reported so far.
Vessel specifications and location
The MV Wan Hai 503 (IMO: 9294862) is a container vessel registered in Singapore. It measures 268.8 metres in length and 32.3 metres in width. The incident occurred deep in the Arabian Sea, roughly 40 kilometres west of the Beypore–Azhikkal port corridor.
Authorities maintain close watch
Maritime and naval authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely. Rescue and damage assessment operations remain ongoing, with further updates expected as more information becomes available.
Source: Mathrubhumi English.
