A major maritime incident has unfolded off the coast of Kerala, India, as the MV Wan Hai, a Singapore-registered cargo ship, continues to burn following an onboard explosion.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, four crew members are currently missing, while 18 others have been rescued and are being transferred from life rafts to Indian Coast Guard vessels.
The 20-year-old container vessel was on its way from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai when an explosion occurred in one of its forward cargo holds around 10:30 a.m. on Monday. The exact cause of the blast remains unknown, though maritime experts suspect it may have involved dangerous goods, possibly undeclared, stored below deck.
India’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that approximately 20 containers were lost at sea due to the explosion.
In response, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have deployed rescue ships and an aircraft to the scene, located about 78 nautical miles off Beypore, Kerala. A Dornier surveillance aircraft has also been dispatched to monitor the situation from above.
Dramatic images released by the Indian Coast Guard show thick black smoke pouring from the vessel and two life rafts floating nearby.
The MPA has stated it is in close communication with the ship’s management company and has launched an investigation into the incident.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to contain the damage and locate the missing crew.
