- Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire about 15 nautical miles off Kerala's coast
- 18 crew members rescued with injuries; 4 remain missing
- Firefighting efforts ongoing; ship is tilting and may sink
India’s Coast Guard is battling a massive fire aboard a Singapore-flagged container ship, MV Wan Hai 503, which is at risk of sinking about 15 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, while the search continues for four missing crew members.
Dramatic images show flames and thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the vessel, which has developed a noticeable tilt of 10 to 15 degrees, according to Coast Guard Commandant Amit Uniyal.
Explosions could still be heard on Tuesday—more than 24 hours after the ship sent out a distress signal. The fire reportedly began around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, following an explosion onboard. The cause of the blast remains unknown. Eighteen crew members were rescued with some sustaining injuries, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed. Four sailors remain unaccounted for.
The 269-meter (890-foot) vessel is managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd and had departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 7, en route to Mumbai, India. The company has not yet issued a public statement.
As of Tuesday, Uniyal told CNN that the fire was spreading rapidly, saying, “We’re doing our best to control the blaze, but I can’t confirm if the ship will stay afloat. More containers are catching fire.”
Five Indian Coast Guard vessels are engaged in firefighting efforts. Authorities reported continuing explosions, particularly from the container bay near the accommodation block. A dedicated environmental monitoring ship is observing the situation, though the full extent of environmental damage is still being assessed.
This marks the second major maritime incident off the Kerala coast in less than a month. On May 25, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3 sank in the same region, carrying over 600 containers—including 13 labeled as hazardous.
Following that incident, Kerala’s state government declared an environmental emergency and restricted fishing activities in the affected zone. The Director General of Shipping later confirmed that none of the 61 containers that washed ashore contained hazardous materials, and 51 had been cleared from the coastline as of June 9.
Meanwhile, underwater operations are underway to cap the MSC ELSA 3’s oil tanks to prevent further environmental risk.
