Beypore: A container ship caught fire while steaming from Colombo to Mumbai, prompting a major rescue operation approximately 78 nautical miles off Kerala's coast. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy are actively engaged in the mission, as flames continue to rage onboard the vessel identified as Wan Hai 503.

The distress call came in early this morning, around 10:30 a.m., when a series of explosions rocked the ship. Of the 22 crew members aboard, 18 have successfully been evacuated by Coast Guard teams according to the Kochi defense spokesperson. Tragically, two individuals remain missing, and two are reported injured, one critically so.

The situation is made more perilous by the onboard presence of multiple hazardous chemical substances—at least four distinct classes—complicating firefighting and rescue efforts. Containment of the blaze is the top priority to prevent a catastrophic environmental incident.

The rescue fleet includes five Coast Guard vessels—Sasthri, Arnvesh, Samudraprahari, Abhinav, and Rajdoot—and three C-144 aircraft, bolstered by the Indian Navy’s INS Surat and INS Garuda. The coordinated air-sea operation maintains constant surveillance and evacuation efforts.

With the ship drifting some 78 nautical miles (about 144 km) offshore—west of Beypore between Kozhikode and Kannur—authorities have alerted district disaster teams in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. Medical facilities are being prepped for immediate treatment should the rescued crew be brought ashore, following directives from the Kerala Chief Minister.

The priority remains twofold: extinguishing the fire and safeguarding lives, while the presence of dangerous freight calls for heightened caution. Rescue officials are abstaining from hazard exposure even as the operation intensifies to save any remaining personnel and prevent a potential maritime disaster.