- China thanked India for rescuing the crew of the MV Wan Hai 503 after a fire incident.
- The vessel caught fire and experienced an explosion off the Kerala coast on June 9.
- Of the 22 crew members, 14 are Chinese nationals, including six from Taiwan; four are missing.
China has expressed gratitude to India for successfully rescuing the crew of the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Wan Hai 503 that caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9. Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Yu Jing, took to X and said that of the 22 people on board the vessel, 14 were Chinese nationals, as she thanked the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt actions.
"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," Yu Jing wrote on X.
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 @indiannavy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt… https://t.co/3V8vr1xVW9
— Yu Jing (@ChinaSpox_India) June 10, 2025
Of the 22 crew members on board the ship, four people are missing, five were injured, while 18 others were rescued. China said it wishes further search operations to be successful, and the injured crew members have a speedy recovery.
The explosion occurred while the vessel was en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva near Mumbai. It experienced an explosion in one of its containers, sparking a massive onboard fire while sailing roughly 70 nautical miles off Kozhikode. The vessel is currently adrift.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to track possible drift patterns of containers, debris, or people who may have gone overboard. The INCOIS has also warned of a potential oil spill.
Though the exact quantity of any spillage is still unknown, forecast simulations suggest the oil would drift parallel to the coastline from June 10 through June 13, with continuous monitoring underway.
Local authorities have been urged to step up coastal surveillance and prepare communities for possible navigational or shoreline hazards.
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