Published on
09/06/2025 – 18:49 GMT+2
An explosion and next fireplace had been reported onboard a Singapore-flagged container send off the coast of Kerala in southern India on Monday, a spokesperson for the Indian Coastguard mentioned.
Of the 22 group participants onboard the MV Wan Hai 503, 18 deserted the vessel with the aid of the Indian Navy and coastguard whilst 4 are lacking, Commandant Amit Uniyal mentioned in a remark.
One of the rescued group participants sustained critical accidents.
Two of the 4 lacking are nationals of Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar, Uniyal mentioned.
The army and coastguard have introduced a seek operation for the lacking, aided through a Dornier airplane.
The army makes use of Dornier airplane basically for maritime surveillance, seek and rescue operations.
Quite a few ships have additionally been despatched to assist put out the fireplace some 88 nautical miles (162 km) from the coast of Beypore in Kerala.
“The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,” mentioned Uniyal.
“Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coastguard.”
He mentioned they had been operating to ascertain the main points of the send’s shipment and any possible dangers it would purpose.
The 271-metre vessel left the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on 7 June and used to be set to reach in Mumbai on Monday.
The coastguard won a misery alert from the send Monday morning reporting an explosion and next fireplace within probably the most packing containers onboard.
The fireplace later unfold to different packing containers.
The coastguard has now not but given the reason for the explosion and fireplace.
The vessel is controlled through Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines, in step with a remark from Singaporean government.
Late remaining month, a Liberia-flagged container send crusing between the Indian ports of Vizinjam and Kochi sank off Kerala.
The state govt issued a prime alert in its coastal spaces and requested fishermen to not undertaking close to the web page the place the container send, which carried hazardous shipment, had sunk.
