On the morning of June 9th, a Singapore-flagged container ship, Wan Hai 503, experienced an internal explosion off the coast of Kerala, India. The incident prompted an immediate response from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, who successfully rescued 18 crew members.
According to a report from the Press Trust of India (PTI), the explosion occurred onboard Wan Hai 503, a 270-meter-long container vessel with a 12.5-meter draft, en route from Colombo to Mumbai. The ship had departed Colombo on June 7th and was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on June 10th.
At approximately 10:30 AM local time, the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) in Mumbai issued an alert regarding the explosion, which was then relayed to the corresponding unit in Kochi. In response, the Indian Navy redirected its frontline warship INS Surat, which had been scheduled to dock in Kochi, to the scene for immediate emergency assistance. This redeployment was ordered by the Western Naval Command at 11:00 AM.
Additionally, the Navy prepared to dispatch a Dornier aircraft from the Naval Air Station Garuda in Kochi for an aerial assessment of the vessel, with potential follow-up support if required.
Sources from the Ministry of Defence confirmed that after the explosion and subsequent fire, the crew abandoned the ship. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Navy and Coast Guard, all 18 crew members were successfully rescued.
As of now, five injuries and four missing crew members have been reported. There are no immediate updates indicating cargo loss, environmental damage, or further casualties. The cause of the explosion remains unknown and is currently under investigation.
