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China thanks Indian forces for rescuing crew after Kerala ship explosion
The Chinese Embassy in India on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for rescuing the crew of Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 after it caught fire following an explosion off the coast of Kerala on Monday.
Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, confirmed that the crew of the Singapore-flagged vessel included 14 Chinese citizens and 6 Taiwanese nationals.
"On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered an onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue. We wish further search operations successful and the injured crew members speedy recovery," Jing said in a post on X.
What happened to MV Wan Hai 503?
On Monday morning, the Indian Coast Guard reported that a major fire had broken out on board the Wan Hai 503 following a container explosion. The incident occurred at around 9.20 am IST, approximately 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal in Kerala's Kannur district and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi.
The vessel, which was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai, issued a distress signal after the explosion.
Eighteen crew members were rescued and brought safely to the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Coast Guard berth at Panambur by Indian Naval Ship INS Surat.
However, on Tuesday, Coast Guard officials said the situation on board remained dangerous. Fire and explosions continued to erupt from the midship area and container bay near the accommodation block. While flames at the forward bay have been largely controlled, thick smoke continued to rise, and more containers reportedly fell overboard.
The ship has developed a portside list of approximately 10 to 15 degrees.
Indian Coast Guard leads firefighting efforts
Coast Guard vessels Samudra Prahari and Sachet were deployed for firefighting and boundary cooling operations. The ships are engaged in preventing the spread of flames and limiting structural damage to the container vessel.
Maritime authorities are continuing the operation amid challenging conditions, with support from the Indian Navy and additional Coast Guard assets on standby.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The Indian authorities are also coordinating with the ship's owners and flag-state officials to assess damage and plan salvage operations.
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