Fire breaks out on Singapore-flagged cargo ship off Kerala coast
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Kozhikode: Fire breaks out on a container ship off the coast of Beypore in Kozhikode on Monday morning, India Today reported.
Emergency response was underway after fire reported on MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged ship, at around 10:30 am.
The Navy and the Indian Coast Guard rescued 18 of the 22 total crew members that abandoned the vessel, according to The Indian Express.
There were no immediate reports of injuries just as rescue operations were still underway.
The Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Mumbai alerted its counterpart in Kochi that an underdeck explosion had taken place on the 270-metre-long vessel.
This has led to quick response from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, India Today reported citing a statement by the Defence Ministry.
The ship with a draught of 12.5 metres was en route to Mumbai after it departed Colombo on June 7, expecting to arrive on June 10.
Alongside, it is reported that in order to assist the vessel, the Indian Navy diverted INS Surat from its scheduled docking in Kochi.
The diversion order was issued by the Western Naval Command at 11 am.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed four ships to help firefighting operations.
