The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) continued to battle the fire and explosions on the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 that started on June 9. However, the adverse weather conditions have slowed down the operations considerably.
Official sources say that the fire and explosions were particularly concentrated from mid-ships to the container bay ahead of the accommodation block. Navy sources said that the smoke has subsided to some level as a result of the heavy rain in the sea but that the fire was still not under control. Besides, the ship is tilting approximately 10-15 degrees to the left side, as a result of which around 50 containers have fallen overboard.
Singapore-flagged cargo ship fire: 40% of blaze in forward bay contained but vessel continues to emit heavy smoke
Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. However, four crew members remain missing (two from Taiwan, one from Indonesia, and one from Myanmar). Search and rescue operations are ongoing, supported by aircraft and multiple Indian naval and coast guard vessels. Of the five injured members of the crew undergoing treatment at Mangaluru, a Chinese national has been discharged while two others are still in the intensive care unit.
