In a dramatic maritime rescue, INS Surat arrived at Mangaluru port on Monday night carrying 18 crew members who were rescued from the Singapore-flagged vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast between Beypore and Azhikkal.

Of the rescued crew, six were admitted to AJ Hospital and Research Centre, with two in critical condition suffering from severe burns. The incident occurred approximately 78 nautical miles from Beypore, triggered by an explosion in one of the containers.

The vessel had 22 crew members onboard; four remain missing—identified as two Taiwanese nationals, one Indonesian, and one Myanmar national—all of whom were reportedly part of the initial firefighting team.

As the blaze intensified and 20 containers fell into the sea, the crew was forced to abandon the 270-metre-long ship, which was en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) swiftly deployed resources and coordinated rescue efforts through the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai.

Merchant vessel MV One Marvel played a crucial role in recovering the 18 survivors. The firefighting and search operations continue at sea to locate the missing crew members.