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Explosion in cargo ship off Kerala coast; four crew members missing
The 270m-long vessel, which departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 7, was en route to the Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai when the incident took place
An explosion and a subsequent fire was reported onboard a cargo vessel off the Kerala coast on Monday, officials aware of the matter said, adding that four crew members of the ship were missing even as the Navy and Coast Guard rescued 18 others.
According to a release by the Coast Guard, the fire broke out onboard the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 following a container explosion at 9.20am, around 44 nautical miles (81km) off the coast in Azhikkal in Kozhikode district.
“The fire rapidly engulfed the midsection of the vessel, which is currently adrift,” the release said. “Preliminary reports suggest that 10-15 containers have fallen overboard.”
Of the 22 crew members –– all foreign nationals from China, Myanmar, Indonesia and Taiwan–– onboard, 18 were rescued while four others were reported missing, a defence official said on condition of anonymity said, adding that three of the rescued crew members sustained severe injuries.
“Indian Navy in a closely coordinated Search And Rescue operation with the Coast Guard, DG Shipping and other stakeholders, has safely rescued 18 out of 22 crew members Singaporean Flagged MV Wan Hai 503. The MV had reported internal container explosion and resultant major fire onboard,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The 270m-long vessel, which departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 7, was en route to the Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai when the incident took place.
A search and rescue operation is underway, with the Coast Guard mobilising multiple assets to assist in dousing the blaze and rescuing the crew. “The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) initiated an immediate response, deploying two Dornier aircraft equipped with life rafts for aerial surveillance and situational assessment. Five ICG ships, including specialised firefighting and pollution response vessels, have been mobilised to the incident site,” the Coast Guard’s release said.
An official at the Azhikkal Port confirmed that vessel’s cargo contained dangerous cargo, including flammable solids, liquids and toxic substances. “There are four types of dangerous goods aboard of classes 3, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1. Class 3 dangerous goods include flammable liquids. Class 4.1 includes flammable solids. Class 4.2 includes goods that are prone to spontaneous combustion. Class 6 has goods that are mainly classified as toxic,” Captain Arun Kumar told reporters.
“Vessel is still emitting dense smoke, raising fears of secondary explosions,” the Coast Guard said in a post on X later in the evening. “The situation remains critical. All efforts are being made to stabilize the vessel and ensure the safety of remaining crew members and #MarineEnvironment. Further updates will follow.”
