Kochi: The Indian Coast Guard is still attempting to extinguish the blaze that has engulfed the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503.
It stated that attempts were being made to put out the ship fire, which had injured many personnel. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy, while four remain missing.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of 5:00 p. m. on Tuesday, the fire on the container ship has lessened, but heavy smoke continued to pour.
Ships from the Indian Coast Guard are still battling the blaze and attempting to bring the inferno aboard the container vessel MV WAN HAI 503 under control off the Kerala coast. According to the Indian Coast Guard, the visible flames have subsided, but heavy smoke continues to pour out as of 1700 hours today.
Meanwhile, Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Yu Jing on Tuesday thanked the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their swift and skilled rescue of its crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503, which suffered an onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Kerala's Azhikkal.
According to Yu Jing, the MV Wan Hai carried Chinese and Taiwanese crew members. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson hoped for successful search operations and a quick recovery for injured crew people.
On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 experienced onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the 22 crew members, 14 are Chinese, including six Taiwanese. We appreciate the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their quick and skilled rescue. We wish for the ongoing search efforts to be successful and for the wounded personnel to recover quickly, Yu Jing said on X.
According to reports, four crew members were missing and five were injured after an explosion occurred below deck onboard MV WAN HAI 503, which was en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva. Indian Coast Guard boats have been deployed to assist with firefighting and rescue efforts.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, four crew members were reported missing after the explosion on Monday, while five others suffered injuries. The ship was carrying containerized cargo and had a crew of 22. CGDO on duty was diverted for assessment.
Of the 18 rescued crew members from the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503, six were brought to the AJ Hospital for medical treatment after midnight on Tuesday. According to Dinesh Kadam, a plastic surgeon at the AJ Hospital, two rescuees had severe injuries with 35-40 percent burns.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Surat, which was carrying the rescued crew members who had been hurt in a ship fire, arrived at the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), Panambur.
According to Plastic Surgeon Kadam, the six survivors are of several countries, including Chinese and Indonesian. Two of the six rescued crew members have major injuries.
We have received six patients. All of them have burns. Three victims are Chinese nationals, two are from Burma (Myanmar), and one is from Indonesia. Two are seriously injured, with 35-40% burns. The majority of their burns are airway burns, which are far more severe. They suffer breathing difficulties. We must keep a close eye on them for a few days to see how they perform. We're currently giving all of our attention and critical care, Kadam stated to journalists here.
According to the Indian Navy, the ship had 22 personnel, including eight Chinese, six Taiwanese, five Myanmar, and three Indonesian citizens. Following the explosion and fire increase, the crew evacuated the ship.
The MV experienced an internal container detonation, which resulted in a severe fire onboard.
The ship was traveling from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, with an estimated arrival time (ETA) of June 10.
Singapore's Flag Administration has been properly notified. According to the statement, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), India, has ordered the ship's owners to promptly engage professional salvors and firefighting specialists.
