Singapore-Flagged Container Ship MV Wan Hai 503 Catches Fire off Kerala Coast
Kozhikode, June 9 — The MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged container ship, caught fire following an onboard explosion off the coast of Beypore, Kerala, around 10:30 am on Monday. The explosion reportedly occurred on the vessel’s underdeck while en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, approximately 315 km off Kochi and 70 nautical miles west of Beypore.
The 270-metre-long ship, carrying containerised cargo and crewed by 22 personnel, had departed Colombo on June 7, with an expected arrival in Mumbai on June 10.
Following the blast:
- Four crew members are missing
- Five have been reported injured
- Rescue Efforts Underway
The Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, which was scheduled to dock in Kochi, to provide emergency assistance.
A Dornier aircraft sortie from INS Garuda, Kochi, is being planned for aerial assessment and coordination.
The Indian Coast Guard mobilised several assets:
- ICGS Rajdoot (from off New Mangalore)
- ICGS Arnvesh (from off Kochi)
- ICGS Sachet (from off Agatti)
A CG Dornier aircraft already on task has been diverted to the incident site.
This incident comes just weeks after a Liberian-flagged ship capsized and sank off Alappuzha, prompting widespread environmental concerns and a state-declared disaster. That event led to a large-scale shore cleanup and mobilised emergency services across Kerala.
Further updates are awaited as firefighting and rescue operations continue off the Malabar Coast.
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