Chinese Crew Members Onboard Singapore-Flagged Vessel rescued by Indian Navy & Coast Guard
Shri Yu Jing, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, publicly expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue of the Chinese crew, from a burning ship off Kerala Coast.
He wished success for ongoing search operations and a speedy recovery for the injured. China’s acknowledgment highlights the international cooperation involved, as Singapore also dispatched a team to assist in the rescue and salvage efforts.
On June 9, 2025, the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 experienced a major onboard explosion and fire approximately 44 nautical miles off Kerala’s Azhikkal coast while en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai.
The ship was carrying 22 crew members, including 14 Chinese nationals (six from Taiwan), five Myanmarese, and three Indonesians. Following the explosion, the fire rapidly spread through the container bay, leading to the crew abandoning ship and triggering an extensive search and rescue operation by Indian maritime authorities.
The Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard responded promptly, deploying multiple vessels—such as INS Surat, ICGS Rajdoot, ICGS Arnvesh, and ICGS Sachet—and aerial assets to the scene. Their coordinated efforts resulted in the successful rescue of 18 crew members, who were subsequently provided first aid and transported to New Mangalore for further medical care.
Among the rescued, five suffered burn injuries, and two were reported to be in critical condition. Four crew members—two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia—remained missing as of the latest updates.
The incident raised significant safety and environmental concerns. The fire, fuelled by hazardous and explosive cargo, continued to rage into the following day, with thick smoke and toxic fumes observed emanating from the vessel.
The ship was reported to be listing 10–15 degrees to port, with several containers having fallen overboard, increasing the risk of an oil spill and environmental contamination along the Kerala coastline. The Directorate General of Shipping in India instructed the vessel’s owners to engage qualified salvors and firefighting experts, while emergency towing efforts aimed to move the ship further out to sea to minimise coastal risk.
As of the latest reports, firefighting and boundary cooling operations were ongoing, with additional salvage teams and expert chemists arriving to address hazardous materials and toxic chemicals onboard. The situation remains dynamic, with authorities maintaining heightened alert along the Kerala coast and further updates expected as rescue and containment efforts continue.
