Fire Breaks Out: A Singapore-flagged container ship, MV Wan Hai 503, caught fire after an explosion off Beypore, Kerala, on Monday at 10:30 am. The vessel, en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, was 315 km off Kochi and 70 nautical miles west of Beypore. Carrying 22 crew members, the 270-meter ship departed Colombo on June 7, bound for Mumbai by June 10.

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Crew Faces Crisis: Four crew members—two Taiwanese, one Myanmar national, and one Indonesian—went missing after the explosion. Eighteen others abandoned the ship and were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard, though one is critically injured. The vessel, still on fire and adrift, has triggered ongoing rescue efforts to locate the missing crew, with no Indians reported among them.

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Hazardous Cargo Risk: The ship carries dangerous cargo, including flammable solids, liquids, and toxic substances. Classified as Class 3 (flammable liquids), Class 4.1 (flammable solids), and Class 4.6 (toxic substances), these materials pose significant risks. Authorities at Azhikkal Port stress the urgency of containment, as the fire threatens both crew safety and environmental stability off Kerala’s coast.

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Navy Steps In: The Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, originally set to dock in Kochi, to assist the burning vessel. A Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda, Kochi, conducts aerial assessments. The Coast Guard deployed ICGS Rajdoot, Arnvesh, and Sachet, alongside other ships, to support firefighting and rescue operations, coordinating efforts to manage the escalating crisis.

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Rescue Efforts Persist: Eighteen of the 22 crew members have been rescued, but four remain missing. The search continues for the two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, and one Myanmarese crew, with Coast Guard aircraft maintaining surveillance. One rescued crew member is in critical condition, and updates are awaited as operations focus on controlling the fire and finding survivors.

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