Classification
- Incident Type: Fire / Explosion
- Severity: High
- Operational context: Container vessel carrying declared dangerous goods
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Wan Hai 503 |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Singapore [SG] |
| IMO Number | 9294862 |
| MMSI | 563812000 |
| Call Sign | S6AV2 |
| Gross Tonnage | 42532 |
| LOA (m) | 269 |
| Breadth (m) | 32 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2005 |
| Crew Size | 22 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2025-06-09 |
| Location | 44 nautical miles southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, India |
| Coordinates | 11.626667, 74.623333 |
| Region | Arabian Sea |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 6 |
| Missing | 4 |
| Cargo Loss | Containers were lost overboard; the quantity was not established in published official updates |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
| Investigation Body | Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore |
Key facts
- The fire followed a container explosion while the ship was sailing from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai.
- The initial incident position was recorded as 11.626667, 74.623333, about 44 nautical miles southwest of Azhikkal.
- Wan Hai 503 carried 1,754 containers. The Directorate General of Shipping recorded 143 containers with IMDG cargo, after an earlier figure of 157 was revised.
- Indian Navy and Coast Guard units rescued 18 crew members. MPA later reported six injured crew members and four crew members still missing.
- Indian responders and the owner’s salvors fought the fire and secured a tow. The Indian Coast Guard records that the vessel entered Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, on 12 September 2025.
Narrative
Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged container vessel managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd, was sailing from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, when a container explosion was reported on 9 June 2025. The vessel was about 44 nautical miles southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala, in the Arabian Sea. Indian and Singaporean official accounts identify the event as a major fire following a container explosion, with the fire originating in an underdeck hold and spreading through the cargo spaces.
There were 22 crew members onboard. Eighteen abandoned the vessel and were transferred to an Indian Navy ship. MPA reported that six of the rescued crew required treatment, while four crew members remained missing. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy used ships and aircraft for search and rescue, firefighting, and surveillance. MPA’s 10 June update said the 18 rescued crew had reached New Mangalore and that firefighting and the search for the four missing crew were continuing.
The Directorate General of Shipping’s 10 June situation report recorded 1,754 containers onboard, including 143 containers carrying IMDG cargo. The manifest covered flammable liquids and solids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion, water-reactive substances, toxic substances, corrosives, and other dangerous goods. The same report stated that an earlier count of 157 IMDG containers had been revised to 143. Official releases also recorded fuel onboard and a risk to the marine environment, but the figures differed between updates. The quantity of containers lost overboard was not established in published official updates.
The response extended beyond the initial rescue. Indian Coast Guard units, Indian Navy assets, Directorate General of Shipping emergency towing vessels, and the owner’s salvage team conducted firefighting, boundary cooling, aerial assessment, dewatering, and towage operations. Salvage personnel were inserted onto the vessel by helicopter, and Offshore Warrior secured the tow. By 24 July, the Directorate reported that the fire was controlled, the vessel remained afloat and stable under tow, and responsibility for further coordination had shifted to Singapore’s MPA and the salvors. The Indian Coast Guard later recorded the vessel’s arrival at Jebel Ali on 12 September 2025.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | A container explosion and major fire were reported aboard Wan Hai 503 off Kerala. Eighteen crew were rescued and four remained missing. |
| 2025-06-10 | MPA reported that the rescued crew had reached New Mangalore, six had been injured, and firefighting and search operations were continuing. |
| 2025-06-11 | The Indian Coast Guard winched salvage personnel and a diver onto the vessel while firefighting and tow preparations continued. |
| 2025-06-13 | Salvage personnel connected the vessel to the ocean-going tug Offshore Warrior. |
| 2025-07-24 | The Directorate General of Shipping reported controlled fire conditions and stable towage outside the Indian EEZ, and said MPA and the salvors would coordinate further action. |
| 2025-09-12 | The Indian Coast Guard recorded that Wan Hai 503 entered Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Explosion in an underdeck cargo hold | Confirmed finding | The Directorate General of Shipping and India’s maritime casualty summary describe the fire as following a container explosion originating in an underdeck hold. |
| Declared dangerous goods in the cargo | Confirmed finding | The Directorate’s cargo assessment listed 143 IMDG containers carrying classes of flammable, toxic, corrosive, water-reactive, and other dangerous substances. |
| Alleged undeclared or misdeclared explosives | Reported | A New Indian Express report quoted a senior officer alleging that explosives had been carried without proper precautions and were absent from the cargo declaration. Neither the MPA nor the Directorate statements establish that allegation as a final cause. |
Investigation
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore announced on 9 June 2025 that it would investigate the incident. The Directorate General of Shipping’s 10 June situation report stated that an MPA casualty investigator was coordinating with the Indian authorities, and a January 2026 Directorate page recorded a meeting concerning issues arising from the incident. No public final MPA or Indian casualty report with causal findings was identified.
References
- MPA: Fire onboard Wan Hai 503
- MPA: Status update on Wan Hai 503
- MPA: Fire-fighting and SAR operations continue
- Indian Coast Guard: Other assistance, including Wan Hai 503
- Directorate General of Shipping: SITREP 3, 10 June 2025
- Directorate General of Shipping: SITREP 35, 24 July 2025
- Ministry of Defence: ICG operations on 11 June 2025
- Directorate General of Shipping: Wan Hai 503 casualty entry
- Directorate General of Shipping: January 2026 coordination meeting
- New Indian Express report on the alleged cargo issue