A Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, caught fire in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kozhikode on Monday. The incident was reported when the vessel was approximately 78 nautical miles off Beypore.

Reports indicate the vessel was carrying highly flammable cargo. The fire, reportedly triggered by multiple explosions, caused about 20 containers to fall into the sea. The vessel had 22 crew members on board, most of them Taiwanese nationals.

Advertisement

Of the 22 people on board, 18 jumped into the sea. They have been rescued by the Navy. Four are reported missing who went for the initial firefighting. Five crew members have suffered injuries, and two have sustained severe burns.

The State Disaster Management Authority reported that the vessel caught fire 144 km northwest of Kozhikode. This location is 70 nautical miles from Beypore and 40 nautical miles from Azhikkal.

The Indian Coast Guard deployed assets for immediate assessment and assistance. Four ICG ships were diverted to the scene, and Indian Navy assets have also been mobilized.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in a statement said, “At around 0930 hrs today, Indian Coast Guard received a distress alert from Singapore flagged container vessel Wan Hai 503, regarding explosion and subsequent fire onboard one of the containers, 88 Nautical miles from the coast of Beypore.”

“ICG Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Mumbai diverted MV One Marvel, which recovered 18 of the crew. Of the 18 crew rescued, one is reported to have sustained serious injuries,” it said.

The statement further said 4 crew (2 Taiwanese, 1 Indonesian and 1 Myanmarese) are missing from the time of explosion and their search is in progress. ICG Dornier aircraft is maintaining overhead the vessel for real-time assessment.

The vessel is presently adrift and firefighting efforts by the Indian Coast Guard have commenced to bring the situation under control.

“The details of the cargo onboard are being ascertained to determine the nature of fire and the potential risks involved during firefighting operations,” the statement said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the Kozhikode and Ernakulam district administrations to prepare for medical support if crew members are brought ashore.

The 270-metre-long ship was sailing from Colombo to Mumbai and was expected to reach its destination on June 10.

The contents of the containers that fell into the sea are unknown. The reasons behind the fire were yet to be ascertained.

The ship is currently out of control, the Navy says. Efforts are currently being made to extinguish the fire on the ship. India has passed on the information to the Singapore shipping authorities.

This is the second maritime accident off Kerala in recent weeks. On May 24, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 sank 14 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, releasing hundreds of containers , including 13 carrying hazardous materials, into the sea.