KOCHI – Multiple explosions and fires erupted on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship bound for India’s financial capital Mumbai on June 9, causing 40 containers to fall into the Arabian Sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames, officials said.
Four out of the ship’s 22 crew members were unaccounted for, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a media release on June 9 at around 6pm.
No Singaporeans were on board container vessel Wan Hai 503, managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore), the authority added.
MPA said it had been informed about a fire on board the ship, which occurred at around 12.30pm (Singapore time), approximately 80km south-west of Azhikkal in Kerala, India.
Eighteen crew members have been accounted for and are in the process of being transferred from lifeboats to a passing vessel.
Some injuries have been reported among those who were on board, the authority said.
Dr Shekhar Kuriakose, secretary of Kerala’s disaster management authority, said: “According to preliminary information… there were 22 workers on board the ship … 18 jumped into the sea and are in rescue boats. Efforts are under way to rescue them.”
He added that the vessel was not “currently sinking”.
Pictures and videos shared by the Indian coast guard on X showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship, and some containers lying open and in disarray near the point where the smoke was escaping.
“Vessel is presently on fire and adrift,” an Indian Defence Ministry public relations officer said on X.
Officials did not disclose the nature of the cargo in the containers, nor what caused the explosions.
MPA said it is in close contact with the vessel’s management company to provide support and is monitoring the situation closely. It will be investigating the incident, it said.
A container vessel sank in another accident off Kerala in May, releasing 100 cargo containers into the Arabian Sea. The directorate-general of shipping said on June 6 there were no reports of oil pollution because of that incident. REUTERS
- Additional reporting by Vihanya Rakshika
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
