 "Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire off Kerala coast.")
Chinese Ambassador to India Yu Jing on Tuesday thanked the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for rescuing the crew of MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire 78 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore in Kerala on Monday. The crew included 14 Chinese and six Taiwanese nationals.
“On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue,” Jing said on X.
 "Singapore-flagged ship catches fire off Kerala coast, Indian Navy, Coast Guard rush to rescue")
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In a social media post, the Defence Public Relations Office (PRO) in Kochi stated that following reports of a fire aboard MV Wan Hai 503, the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat and planned a Dornier sortie from INS Garuda. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard deployed a CG Dornier aircraft along with other assets for rescue and assessment operations.
Further updates by the Defence PRO mentioned that five Coast Guard ships– Sachet, Arnvesh, Samudra Prahari, Abhinav, and Rajdoot– were involved in the rescue mission. A C144 aircraft was also included in the list of assets deployed.
Visuals provided by the maritime security agencies showed the fire engulfing the mid section of the Singapore-flagged container vessel measuring 270 metres in length with a draught of 12.5 metres.
It was the second incident involving cargo vessels off the Kerala coast in a month. On 24 May, a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC ELSA-3, sank 14.6 nautical miles off the coast.
With inputs from agencies