Four crew members missing after fire onboard Singapore-registered ship off Indian coast

SINGAPORE: Four crew members are missing after a fire onboard a Singapore-registered container vessel off the Indian coast on Monday (Jun 9).

The fire occurred at about 12.30pm while the vessel, Wan Hai 503, was about 80km southwest of Azhikkal town in Kerala, India, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). 

The missing crew members - two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar and one from Indonesia - were among the 22 people on board. 

Eighteen were rescued, with five of them injured.

They have been transferred from lifeboats to an Indian Navy ship, which is en route to New Mangalore Port, said MPA.

There are no Singaporeans onboard, the agency added.

Pictures and videos shared by the Indian Coast Guard on X showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship, and some containers lying open and in disarray.

Indian officials told Reuters that 40 containers fell into the sea after multiple explosions and fires erupted on the ship, which had been bound for India's financial capital, Mumbai. They did not disclose the nature of the cargo in the containers, nor what caused the explosions.

Eighteen crew members jumped into the sea, according to Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of Kerala's disaster management authority.

He added that the vessel was not "currently sinking".

In an update, MPA said three vessels and aircraft have been deployed by the Indian Coast Guard and Navy to support search and rescue operations. 

"A team from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is en route to support the Indian authorities," the agency added.

The container vessel is managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore).

"MPA is in close contact with the vessel’s management company to provide support and is monitoring the situation closely," the agency said.

"MPA will be investigating the incident."

CNA has contacted Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) for comment.