The Singapore-registered container ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire on June 9, about 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal on the Kerala coast. The vessel had 22 crew members, including 14 Chinese nationals and 6 from Taiwan. An onboard explosion reportedly caused the fire.
Immediate Naval and Coast Guard Response
Following the incident, the Defence PRO in Kochi confirmed that the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat and scheduled a Dornier aircraft sortie from INS Garuda. The Indian Coast Guard also responded swiftly, deploying a CG Dornier aircraft and five ships—Sachet, Arnvesh, Samudra Prahari, Abhinav, and Rajdoot—for rescue and damage assessment.
A C144 aircraft was also mobilised, and visuals from maritime agencies showed flames engulfing the vessel’s midsection. MV Wan Hai 503 is a 270-metre-long container ship with a draught of 12.5 metres.
China Thanks India
Chinese Ambassador to India, Yu Jing, publicly thanked the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for their quick and professional rescue, highlighting the assistance provided to Chinese and Taiwanese crew members.
Second Major Incident in a Month
This fire marks the second cargo vessel incident off Kerala’s coast in less than a month. On May 24, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 sank about 14.6 nautical miles off Beypore, prompting environmental concerns and legal pressure on the vessel’s owners.
