Singapore-flagged container ship catches fire near Kerala coast; rescue work underway
A Singapore-flagged container ship on its way to Navi Mumbai has caught fire off the Kerala coast, a defence spokesperson said in Kochi on Monday.
The defence spokesperson said in a statement that the vessel, identified as M V Wan Hai 503, departed Colombo on June 7 and was slated to reach NPC Mumbai on June 10. Around 10.30 am on Monday, the Navy got formation about the underdeck fire on board the ship.
'INS Surat, scheduled to enter Kochi for IST, has been diverted by WNC at 11 am t provide assistance to the distressed vessel. Additionally, In-dornier sortie is being planned from Garuda,' said the Navy spokesperson.
Official sources at Kerala's State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said the incident took place 78 nautical miles away from the Beypore coast in Kozhikode district.
'Twenty containers have fallen into the sea and there were multiple blasts at the ship. The ship had 22 crew members and 18 of them jumped into the sea with a rescue boat. The ship has not so far sunk,'' said an official.
The SDMA said that if the injured crew members were being brought to Kerala, the district collectors of Kozhikode and Ernakulam would be asked to ensure treatment for the injured.
WAN HAI 503 had been sailing at a speed of 14.4 knots and was expected to arrive in Mumbai on June 10. The vessel (IMO 9294862, MMSI 563812000) is a container ship built in 2005 and sailing under the flag of Singapore.
The defence spokesperson said that out of the 22 crew members, 18 had left the ship on a boat. The crew members are being rescued by the Coast Guard and Indian Navy ships and aircraft. The vessel is on fire and adrift.
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