China embassy grateful to Indian Navy, Mumbai Coast Guard for rescue of 18 crew members from ship fire

The Chinese Embassy in India expressed its gratitude to the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard after their successful rescue of 18 crew members from the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off India's southwestern coast Kerala on June 9.

"On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered an 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," Yu Jing, an embassy spokesperson, posted on X on June 10.

Two crew members from China's Taiwan region still remain missing, the embassy said. Another two missing members were from Myanmar.

According to the Indian Navy, the vessel had a multinational crew onboard, including Chinese, Myanmar, and Indonesian nationals. All crew members were forced to abandon the ship after the fire intensified.

Yu expressed his wish for the success of the ongoing search operations and speedy recovery for the injured crew members.

Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, also extended his gratitude to India after the successful rescue of the crew from the Singapore-flagged container ship.

"Search and rescue (SAR) operations are ongoing to locate the four missing crew. Aerial surveillance is also being conducted in support of the SAR efforts," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.

"MPA is monitoring the situation in close coordination with the Indian authorities, including supporting the assessment of the vessel's structural integrity and the potential for environmental impact," it said.

The 18 crew members who were earlier rescued safely arrived at New Mangalore Port, southwestern coast of India. Six injured crew members had been transferred to a shore medical facility. Three were later discharged.

The 270m-long vessel departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 7.

Fire broke out on the vessel, which was en route to the Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai, on the morning of June 9, according to the Indian Coast Guard. The ship is carrying containerized cargo.

"The Indian Coast Guard initiated an immediate response, deploying two Dornier aircraft equipped with life rafts for aerial surveillance and situational assessment. Five ICG ships, including specialised firefighting and pollution response vessels, have been mobilised to the incident site," the ICG said in a press release.

Among the 18 evacuated, two crew members were critically injured, while four others sustained minor injuries. The remaining 12 crew members were lodged at a hotel in Mangaluru, according to the Indian Navy.

Two Indian Coast Guard ships, Sachet and Samudra Prahari, were deployed at the scene to assist in firefighting and rescue operations.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.