Fire Breaks Out on Wan Hai 503 Container Ship Off India’s Kerala Coast

A fire erupted on the Singapore-registered container ship Wan Hai 503 earlier on Monday off the coast of Kerala, India. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported that several crew members were injured in the incident, with four individuals currently unaccounted for as search and rescue operations are underway by the Indian Coast Guard and Navy.

The incident took place on June 9, 2025, around 12:30 hrs Singapore time on the vessel managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd. There were a total of 22 crew members onboard at the time of the fire. Of these, eighteen crew members have been safely located and are in the process of being transferred from lifeboats to another passing vessel.

While some injuries have been reported among the crew members, four individuals remain missing. Reports from the scene indicate that multiple explosions and fires occurred on the Wan Hai 503 cargo ship, leading to the fall of 40 containers into the Arabian Sea and prompting some crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames.

The Indian authorities have been informed of the situation, and both the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy are actively involved in providing assistance to the crew members and conducting search and rescue operations to locate the missing individuals.