Singapore-flagged cargo ship catches fire off Kerala's Beypore coast; 18 rescued, 4 missing

A major maritime incident unfolded off the Kerala coast on June 8 morning after a Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, caught fire following an under-deck explosion. The fire broke out around 78 nautical miles (145 km) off Beypore, prompting a large-scale rescue operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard.

The ship, which was en route from Colombo to Mumbai, had 22 crew members on board. Eighteen of them were rescued after they abandoned the vessel and jumped into the sea using rafts. Four crew members including two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, and one from Myanmar are still missing.

Following the alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai around 10:30 a.m., the Indian Navy deployed its warship INS Surat, which was diverted from its voyage to Kochi. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda in Kochi and ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari were also mobilized.

The Indian Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) One Marvel, which was in the area, picked up several of the stranded crew. The survivors were later handed over to INS Surat, which docked at New Mangalore Port late on June 8. The crew was then taken to a hospital in Mangaluru in the early hours of June 9.

According to hospital authorities, six of the rescued crew were admitted, with two suffering 30–40% burn injuries due to inhalation of hot fumes. The remaining four had minor injuries and are being monitored.

The ship, operated by Wan Hai Lines and managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, is about 270 metres long and was carrying nearly 650 containers. Authorities suspect 150 of those may contain hazardous materials. Between 20 to 50 containers are believed to have fallen into the sea during the fire.

The Directorate General of Shipping has directed the ship’s owners to deploy a specialized salvage team. Dutch firm SMIT Salvage has reportedly been roped in to assist in firefighting and containment efforts.

Even as the ship remains adrift, firefighting efforts continue, and aerial surveillance is being maintained. The Navy and Coast Guard are also monitoring for any possible oil spill or environmental damage.

Search operations are still underway for the four missing crew members.