Explosion, fire on Wan Hai boxship off India’s Kerala; Four crew missing

^{Photo credit: Indian Coast Guard}

The Singapore-flagged containership Wan Hai 503 which caught fire approximately 80 km southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, India on June 9 at about 1230hrs Singapore time have left four crew members missing, according to officials.

The 2005-built vessel, managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd., had 22 crew members onboard at the time. As it is reported, there are no Singaporeans onboard.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been notified by the Indian authorities that 18 crew were safely transferred from lifeboats to an Indian navy ship, which is en route to New Mangalore Port.

Four crew – two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia remain missing, the MPA said in an update today. The MPA reported that search and rescue operations are ongoing supported by the Indian coast guard and the Indian navy who are rendering assistance to the crew and conducting search and rescue operations for the missing crew.

According to the MPA, of the 18 rescued crew, five are reported to have sustained