Four Missing as Singapore Cargo Ship Catches Fire off India’s Kerala Coast
Wan Hai 503 (Credit: Indian Coast Guard/X.com)
Wan Hai 503 (Credit: Indian Coast Guard/X.com)
Wan Hai 503 (Credit: Indian Coast Guard/X.com)
A fire onboard the Singapore-registered container ship Wan Hai 503 has erupted earlier on Monday off India’s Kerala coast, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported, injuring several crew members and leaving four unaccounted for as Indian Coast Guard and Navy launch search and rescue operations.
The incident occurred on June 9, 2025 at about 12.30 hrs Singapore time, at the vessel managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
There were 22 crew members onboard. Eighteen crew members have been accounted for and are in the process of being transferred from lifeboats to a passing vessel.
Some injuries have been reported among them, while four crew members remain unaccounted for, according to MPA.
According to media reports, multiple explosions and fires erupted on the Wan Hai 503 cargo ship, causing 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames.
The Indian authorities have been alerted, and the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy are rendering assistance to the crew and conducting search and rescue operations for the missing crew.
