India's coast guard is currently battling a fire on a container ship carrying 'hazardous' cargo off the southern coast in order to prevent a potential ecological disaster.

The 268m Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, with 22 crew members on board, caught fire about 78 nautical miles off India's Beypore port on Monday (Jun 9).

Photographs released by the coast guard showed heavy containers scattered on the vessel, indicating a powerful explosion. The fire has since engulfed the ship.

The coast guard stated that the vessel is carrying 2,128 metric tons of fuel and numerous containers, including hazardous cargo, which poses a significant risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes. The situation is described as critical.

Eighteen crew members have been rescued, while four - one from Indonesia, two from Taiwan, and one from Myanmar - are missing. The coast guard has deployed a salvage team and a diver to the burning ship to prevent a potential ecological disaster by establishing a towline and pulling the vessel away from the coast.

Although visible flames have been significantly reduced, the fire remains active in the inner decks and near fuel tanks. Seven vessels, including five coast guard ships, as well as airplanes and a helicopter, are involved in firefighting efforts.

This incident comes shortly after another container ship with hazardous cargo sank off the coast of Kerala, with the Indian navy rescuing all 24 crew members.