Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 11 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard is continuously working to combat the fire that engulfed the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503.

It said attempts were being made to control the vessel fire that injured several crew members. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy, while four are still missing.

According to the Indian Coast Guard, as of 5:00 PM on Tuesday, the flames on the container ship were reduced, as thick smoke continued to emanate.

'Indian Coast Guard ships continue to fight the fire and attempt to bring the inferno on the container ship MV WAN HAI 503 under control off Kerala coast. Visible flames have reduced, and thick smoke continues to emanate as of 1700 hours today,' the Indian Coast Guard said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Yu Jing on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue of its crew members onboard the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which encountered an onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Kerala's Azhikkal.

According to Yu Jing, Chinese and Taiwanese crew members were among those onboard MV Wan Hai. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson wished for successful search operations and speedy recovery for injured crew members.

'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 and professional rescue. We wish further search operations successful and the injured crew members speedy recovery,' Yu Jing posted on X.

Four crew members were reported missing and five injured after an explosion under deck was reported onboard MV WAN HAI 503 while it was on passage from Colombo to Nhava Sheva. Indian Coast Guard ships have been deployed for firefighting and rescue operations.

According to the Indian Coast Guard, four crew members were reported missing following the explosion on Monday, and five others sustained injuries. The vessel was carrying containerised cargo and had a total crew of 22 onboard. CGDO on task was diverted for assessment.

Of the 18 rescued crew members of the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503, six were brought to the AJ Hospital for medical treatment post-midnight on Tuesday. Dinesh Kadam, Plastic Surgeon at AJ Hospital, said that two rescuees had critical injuries with 35 to 40 per cent burns.

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Surat, carrying the rescued crew members who sustained injuries in the vessel fire, had arrived at the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), Panambur.

According to Plastic Surgeon Kadam, the six rescuees are from multiple nationalities, including Chinese and Indonesian. Of the six rescued crew members, two have suffered critical injuries.

'We have received six patients. All of them have burns. Three are Chinese nationals, two are from Burma (Myanmar), and one is from Indonesia. Two are critically injured with 35-40 per cent burns. Mainly, they have airway burns, that is, respiratory burns, which are much more severe. They have breathing problems. We have to monitor closely over a few days and see how they do. Right now, we're giving all the attention and critical care,' Kadam told reporters here.

According to the Indian Navy, the vessel carried 22 crew members, including eight Chinese, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese, and three Indonesian nationals. Following the explosion and escalation of the fire, the crew abandoned the ship. The MV reported an internal container explosion and a major fire onboard.

The vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, and its expected arrival time (ETA) was June 10.

'The Flag Administration of Singapore has been formally notified. The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), India, has instructed the ship's owners to immediately engage qualified salvors and firefighting experts,' the release stated. (ANI)