A Singapore-registered container ship went up in flames off the coast of Beypore, Kerala, prompting an immediate rescue and firefighting operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, according to a defence ministry spokesperson based in Kochi.
The vessel, identified as MV Wan Hai 503, was reported to be on fire approximately 78 nautical miles from Beypore in Kozhikode district. The update was shared by the defence ministry via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In response to the emergency, the Navy diverted INS Surat to the scene and prepared a helicopter sortie from the naval airbase INS Garuda. The Indian Coast Guard also deployed a range of resources, including a Dornier surveillance aircraft, to assess the situation and assist in the rescue.
Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 managed to abandon the ship using a lifeboat. The remaining four are currently unaccounted for. As of the latest reports, the vessel remains engulfed in flames and is drifting at sea, the ministry said.
