KOCHI, India (BN24) — A series of powerful explosions and fires erupted aboard a Singapore-flagged cargo ship off the southern coast of India on Monday, forcing crew members to leap into the sea and causing at least 40 containers to tumble into the Arabian Sea, Indian officials said.
The vessel, identified as WAN HAI 503, was en route to Mumbai when the incident occurred roughly 144 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Kerala. Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of Kerala’s State Disaster Management Authority, confirmed that 22 crew members were on board at the time of the explosion.
“According to preliminary information, 18 workers jumped into the sea and have been rescued by emergency boats. Rescue efforts are still underway,” Kuriakose told reporters. He emphasized that the vessel is not currently at risk of sinking.
Dramatic visuals released by the Indian Coast Guard showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the midsection of the vessel, with several containers visibly damaged or overturned. “The vessel is presently on fire and adrift,” India’s Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.
Authorities have yet to identify the contents of the containers or the cause of the explosions. No immediate reports of casualties were released.
The incident comes just weeks after another container vessel sank off the Kerala coast, releasing over 100 containers into the sea. India’s Directorate General of Shipping said there were no indications of oil pollution in that earlier incident.
As firefighting and rescue operations continued Monday evening, officials said a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to determine the origin of the explosions and assess any potential environmental impact.
