Eighteen Crew Members Evacuate Burning Container Ship Near Kerala Coast, Rescued by Navy and Coast Guard, Confirm Defence Sources.
Indian Navy In Action After Singapore-Flag Ship Explosion Off Kerala Coast
Neeraj Rajput | June 9, 2025 4:41 PM CST
A Singapore-flagged container ship, MV Wan Hai 503, experienced a major explosion underdeck early Monday morning, June 9, 2025, while it was sailing 78 nautical miles off Beypore, near Kochi. The blast was first reported around 10:30 am by the Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai to their counterparts in Kochi.
According to Defence PRO, the underdeck explosion has left four crew members missing and five others injured, triggering a large-scale emergency response involving the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
Ship Was En Route From Colombo to Mumbai
The 270-metre-long vessel, with a draught of 12.5 metres, had departed Colombo on June 7 and was expected to reach Mumbai (Nhava Sheva port) on June 10. At the time of the incident, the ship was transporting containerised cargo and had a total crew of 22 onboard.
The coordinates of the incident place the ship in position 315 from Kochi at 130 km distance. The cause of the explosion remains unclear at this stage.
#WATCH | MV WAN HAI 503 on passage from Colombo to Nhava Sheva reported an explosion under deck in position 315, Kochi 130. 04 crew reported missing and 05 crew injured. The ship was carrying containerised cargo with a total crew of 22. CGDO on task diverted for assessment. ICGS… pic.twitter.com/HLCZRlKoAo
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025
Indian Navy & Coast Guard Launch Rescue Ops
Indian Navy responded swiftly by deploying INS Surat and planning an aerial sortie using a Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda to assess the situation from above. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has mobilised an aggressive rescue effort.
A Coast Guard Dornier (CGDO) aircraft has been tasked for immediate assessment. In addition, ICGS Rajdoot (from New Mangalore), ICGS Arnvesh (from Kochi), and ICGS Sachet (from Agatti) have all been diverted to assist in the rescue and containment operations.
Efforts are ongoing to locate the missing crew and ensure the safety of the others onboard, while authorities monitor for any environmental risks from the explosion.
( with inputs from agencies)
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