Eighteen crew members rescued from the blaze-hit Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 were safely brought ashore at the Indian Coast Guard berth of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) late Monday night. However, four of the crew members continue to remain missing. The rescue, carried out by Indian Naval Ship INS Surat, came in the wake of a massive fire triggered by a container explosion onboard the ship while it was navigating the Arabian Sea, approximately 78 nautical miles off the Beypore coast in Kerala.

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The MV Wan Hai 503, a 270-metre-long container vessel, departed Colombo on June 7 and was en route to Mumbai when the incident occurred. An explosion in one of the containers reportedly caused a fire, resulting in 20 containers falling into the sea.

Some of these containers are believed to be carrying dangerous cargo, including flammable and toxic materials, raising environmental and safety concerns.

The fire-struck vessel is currently being monitored closely amid efforts to control the blaze and prevent further environmental damage. Authorities confirmed that specialised response teams are en route to manage the hazardous materials on board.

Of the 18 rescued, two crew members are reported to be in critical condition, four suffered minor injuries, and a dozen others are being treated for psychological trauma. The injured were taken to AJ Hospital in Kuntikana, Mangaluru.

The missing crew members include nationals from Taiwan, Indonesia, and Myanmar. There were no Indian nationals among the crew.

The search and rescue operations are ongoing, involving Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships, as well as aircraft from Kochi and Mangaluru.

According to officials, the critically wounded were stabilized onboard the naval vessel before being transferred under close medical supervision upon arrival. “The critically injured were stabilised onboard INS Surat, and shifted on arrival under close medical supervision. Immediate evacuation was our priority,” a Coast Guard official told reporters, as per a report on PTI.

Port workers at Panambur described the emotional scenes as injured sailors—many visibly shaken—disembarked, some whispering prayers and others frantically asking for news about missing shipmates.

Eighteen crew members rescued from the blaze-hit Singapore-flagged container ship were safely brought to the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Coast Guard berth at Panambur by Indian Naval Ship INS Surat.

Among the rescued, two are said to be in critical condition, while four sustained minor injuries and 12 others suffered varying levels of trauma.

The injured were evacuated and transported to AJ Hospital at Kuntikana in Mangaluru late on Monday night.

“The critically injured were stabilised onboard INS Surat, and shifted on arrival under close medical supervision. Immediate evacuation was our priority,” a Coast Guard official told reporters.

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He added that immigration, port, and police authorities worked in unison to ensure a seamless handover and medical transfer.

The ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire on Sunday in the Arabian Sea off Kerala coast, had 22 crew members on board. While 18 have now been rescued, four remain unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Port workers described emotional scenes as the injured disembarked — some helped by fellow crewmates, others in stretchers, whispering prayers of gratitude or anxiously inquiring about their missing colleagues.

Firefighting underway

Meanwhile, Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari remained engaged in firefighting efforts overnight, a Defence spokesperson said.

A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft took off on Tuesday morning to conduct an aerial survey of the incident site, the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard vessel Samarth is set to sail out, carrying a salvage master to the location of the incident.

(With agency inputs)