Explosion hits Singapore container ship off India's Kerala coast Video

On June 9, an explosion occurred on board the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Kerala, a Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) confirmed.

The underdeck blast was initially reported at approximately 10:30 am by the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Mumbai, which relayed the information to their counterparts in Kochi, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The 270-metre-long ship, with a draught of 12.5 metres, had departed Colombo on June 7 and was heading to Mumbai, where it was scheduled to arrive on June 10. 

Quick response by @IndiaCoastGuard after explosion on #Singapore flagged MV #WANHAI503, 130 NM NW of #Kerala coast.
➡️ #ICG aircraft assessed the scene & dropped air-droppable
➡️ 04 #ICG ships diverted for rescue.#MaritimeSafety #ICG #SearchAndRescue pic.twitter.com/xVPEShbU8h

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 9, 2025

The PRO stated: “On June 9 at about 10:30 hours, MOC Kochi received information from MOC Mumbai about an underdeck explosion on board MV Wan Hai 503. The vessel is a Singapore-flagged container ship, 270 metres in length, draught 12.5 metres, with last port of call Colombo.”

In response, the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, which was due to dock at Kochi, to provide immediate assistance. The Western Naval Command redirected the vessel at 11 am, the PRO added.

An update from the PRO confirmed that 18 of the 22 crew members had abandoned ship and were being rescued by Coast Guard and Indian Navy assets. The vessel remains adrift and is currently on fire.

Additionally, a Navy Dornier aircraft sortie is planned from the naval air station INS Garuda in Kochi to assess the situation and coordinate support efforts.

By Aghakazim Guliyev