Under‑deck blast aboard Singapore‑flagged MV Wan Hai 503 off Kerala triggers fire; 18 crew rescued as Indian Navy’s INS Surat and Coast Guard mount coordinated response

On the morning of June 9, 2025, at around 10:30 AM IST, an under‑deck explosion ripped through the Singapore‑flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, positioned approximately 130 km off Kerala's Beypore coast. The blast ignited a fierce onboard fire, toppling roughly 20 containers into the sea and causing the vessel to drift uncontrolled.

USCG Pauses Cutter Builds in Bold Fleet Shakeup Plan
USCG Pauses Cutter Builds in Bold Fleet Shakeup Plan
View

Immediate Response & Rescue

The Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai promptly alerted its counterpart in Kochi. Within minutes, the Indian Navy diverted the destroyer INS Surat, initially scheduled to dock in Kochi, to rapidly engage in the rescue mission. In parallel, a Navy Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda was launched for aerial reconnaissance.

The Indian Coast Guard dispatched multiple assets (Sachet, Arnvesh, Samudra Prahari, Abhinav, Rajdoot and C‑144) and deployed a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft to execute evacuation and on‑site firefighting.

Crew Safety & Casualties

The vessel had 22 crew members aboard (mostly Taiwanese), of which 18 safely abandoned ship via lifeboats early on and were rescued by coordination between the Navy, Coast Guard, and nearby merchant vessel MV One Marvel . Four are still reported missing—two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, one Myanmarese—and at least five sustained injuries, including two serious cases.

Incident Details & Logistics

  • The vessel, 270 m long with a 12.5 m draught, departed Colombo on June 7, destined for Mumbai, expected June 10.

  • The explosion and resulting fire remain under investigation with no immediate assessment on cargo damage or environmental impact.

The swift, multi‑agency rescue operation highlights India's preparedness at sea. Dramatic visuals—life‑raft abandonments, INS Surat steaming toward the flames, aerial sorties—offer compelling content for maritime news audiences. The four missing crew members add a poignant thread, emphasizing families’ anxieties and the ongoing urgency.