Explosion at Sea: 4 Missing, Ship Burning with Toxic Cargo Off Kerala as Navy Rushes to Rescue”

On June 9, 2025, a large explosion and fire broke out on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 while it was sailing from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Mumbai (India). The incident happened in the Arabian Sea, around 78 to 144 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala. The explosion started below the deck and quickly spread, causing a major fire onboard. As a result, about 40 containers fell into the sea.

There were 22 crew members on board at the time. After the explosion, 18 of them were rescued with the help of lifeboats and nearby ships. Unfortunately, 4 crew members are still missing. They include two people from Taiwan, one from Indonesia, and one from Myanmar. At least five people were injured, and some of them have serious burns and other injuries.

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard quickly responded to the emergency. They sent a warship (INS Surat), a Dornier surveillance aircraft, and several other ships to help with the rescue and firefighting efforts. Some nearby merchant ships also joined in to help save the crew.

Even after the rescue, the fire on the ship continued, and the ship remained adrift, which means it was floating without control. This raised serious concerns about more explosions and the risk of pollution in the sea. Officials later found that the ship was carrying at least 157 containers filled with hazardous materials, including flammable and toxic chemicals. This made the situation even more dangerous.

The rescue operation is still ongoing, and authorities are working to fully control the fire, locate the missing crew members, and prevent any environmental damage. Investigations are also being carried out to find the cause of the explosion and assess the safety of the cargo. The incident has raised alarms, especially since there was a similar case recently involving another cargo ship near the same area.