An explosion was reported on board the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Kerala on Monday morning, prompting a swift response from the Indian Navy, officials said. The incident occurred around 10:30 AM and was first flagged by the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Mumbai, which relayed the information to their Kochi counterparts. The underdeck explosion took place while the vessel was en route from Colombo to Mumbai. The ship had departed Colombo on June 7 and was scheduled to reach Mumbai by June 10.
Rescue operations are currently ongoing. Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 have abandoned the vessel and were rescued by Indian Navy (IN) and Coast Guard (CG) assets. Four crew members remain missing, while the condition of four rescued individuals is reported to be critical. The vessel is presently on fire and adrift. INS Surat has reached the area and is actively involved in the rescue efforts. Five rescue ships are currently engaged in the operation.
Indian Navy responds swiftly
According to officials, MV Wan Hai 503 is a 270-metre-long container ship flying the Singapore flag, with a draught of 12.5 metres.
Following the alert, the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, which had been scheduled to dock in Kochi, to render immediate assistance. The redirection was ordered by the Western Naval Command at 11:00 AM, said the Defence PRO.
Aerial surveillance planned
In addition to naval deployment, a Dornier aircraft sortie is being arranged from INS Garuda, the naval air station in Kochi, to conduct aerial surveillance of the vessel and coordinate further support measures.
"On 09 Jun 25, fire incident reported onboard Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 , 78 NM off #Beypore. @indiannavy diverted INS Surat & planned DO sortie from #INSGaruda. @IndiaCoastGuard deployed multiple assets including CG Dornier for rescue & assessment. #SearchAndRescue," PRO Defence Kochi posted on X.
Video shows thick smoke emerging out of the vessel
A video clip shared by Defence PRO shows thick plumes of smoke billowing from MV Wan Hai 503, the Singapore-flagged container ship that suffered an explosion off the Kerala coast on Monday morning.
Following the blast, the vessel caught fire and is now adrift in the sea. Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 managed to abandon the ship using a lifeboat and are currently being rescued by assets of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard.