A massive fire is raging on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the Indian coast, prompting a large-scale response from the Indian Coast Guard and Navy. The fire, which started on Monday, June 9, 2025, has engulfed the container ship, which is listing off the coast of Kerala.
The 268-meter (879-foot) container vessel was carrying 22 crew members when the fire broke out approximately 78 nautical miles off India's Beypore port. Initial reports indicate that an internal container explosion triggered the blaze. The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva near Mumbai.
As of Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the Indian Coast Guard and Navy had rescued 18 crew members. However, four crew members remain missing. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has identified the missing crew members as two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia. The MPA has also sent a team to assist in the search and rescue operations. The rescued crew members have been taken to New Mangalore Port in Karnataka, where six injured individuals were transferred to a medical facility. Three of them have since been discharged. Aerial surveillance is being conducted to locate the missing crew.
Images and videos from the scene show towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the ship, with some containers having been thrown overboard due to a powerful explosion. The Indian Coast Guard reported that "fires and explosions persist" on the vessel, which is tilting at around 10 to 15 degrees. Several containers have gone overboard, and initial reports suggest that some containers are drifting between Kozhikode and Kochi.
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed multiple ships, including Samudra Prahari, Sachet, and Rajdoot, to combat the fire. ICGS Samarth has also been dispatched from Kochi with a salvage team. An Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft dropped air-droppable items near the vessel to aid in firefighting efforts. Two additional firefighting vessels deployed by the Indian authorities and the vessel owner are expected to arrive on-site to provide further support.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued an alert for the Kerala coast, warning of potential oil spills and debris from the ship. The vessel is reportedly carrying 100 tonnes of bunker oil, a thick, heavy, and polluting fuel. There are concerns that containers drifting along the coast of Kerala could move towards the coastline in the coming days. Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan stated that approximately 50 containers from the ship had fallen into the sea.
The MPA is collaborating with the vessel's classification society and Indian authorities to provide technical information to stabilize the situation and manage the fire, including assessing the vessel's structural integrity and potential environmental impact.
China has expressed gratitude to India for its swift response in rescuing crew members, including Chinese nationals, following the fire. Of the 22 crew members, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan.
This incident marks the second maritime emergency off the Kerala coast in recent weeks. Previously, a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off the coast of Kerala on May 24, 2025. The Indian Navy rescued all 24 crew members from that vessel.
