On June 9, 2025, while traveling from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 had a significant onboard explosion and fire about 44 nautical miles off the coast of Azhikkal, Kerala.
There were 22 crew members on board, including three Indonesians, five Myanmarese, and 14 Chinese (six from Taiwan). After the explosion, the crew fled the ship as the fire quickly spread throughout the container bay, prompting Indian maritime officials to launch a massive search and rescue effort.
In response, the Mumbai Coast Guard and Indian Navy sent several ships, including INS Surat, ICGS Rajdoot, ICGS Arnvesh, and ICGS Sachet, as well as aircraft to the scene. 18 crew members were successfully rescued as a result of their concerted efforts; they were then given first aid and taken to New Mangalore for additional medical attention.
Five of the people that were saved had burn injuries, and two were said to be very ill. As of the most recent information, four crew members were still unaccounted for: two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia.
Through spokeswoman Yu Jing, the Chinese Embassy in India officially thanked the Mumbai Coast Guard and Indian Navy for their “prompt and professional rescue” of the crew, wishing them luck in future search efforts and a quick recovery for the injured. Given that Singapore also sent a crew to help with the rescue and salvage efforts, China’s recognition emphasizes the international collaboration that was required.
There were serious safety and environmental issues brought up by the occurrence. Thick smoke and poisonous fumes were seen coming from the ship as the fire, which was fueled by dangerous and explosive cargo, raged throughout the next day.
There is a greater chance of an oil spill and environmental degradation along the Kerala coastline because the ship was reportedly listing 10 to 15 degrees to port and multiple containers had fallen overboard. While emergency towing attempts sought to move the ship farther out to sea to reduce coastal risk, the Directorate General of Shipping in India directed the ship’s owners to hire trained salvors and firefighting specialists.
According to the most recent reports, new salvage teams and skilled scientists were arriving to handle the hazardous materials and poisonous substances onboard, while firefighting and boundary cooling efforts continued. Authorities are keeping a high level of alert along the Kerala coast, and more updates are anticipated as rescue and containment operations proceed. The situation is still volatile.
