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Do you have any shipments? The shipping company has issued an alert due to a potential 48-hour continuous fire! | Maritime Export Logistics
Jun 12,2025
After burning continuously for 48 hours, the fire on Wan Hai 503 was finally brought under control, but four crew members are still missing and the search is under intense. The hull has now tilted and more containers have been burned and plunged into the sea.
According to Taiwan media coverage, two of the 18 rescued sailors suffered from burn surface area of 35% to 40%. They also suffered respiratory burns and are being treated in intensive care units. In addition, three crew members have been discharged from hospital. The Indian Coast Guard noted that although the fire and explosion continued to spread from the middle of the hull to the container compartment in front of the crew accommodation, the fire in the front container carriage was contained, although smoke remained heavy. The hull is currently leaning about 10 to 15 degrees to the port of the ship and more containers are reported to have landed in the sea.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday that fire operations were underway at Wan Hai 503 off the coast of India. Two other fire boats from the Indian authorities arrived at the scene that night to support the response efforts. In the early hours of the 12th, the Indian Coast Guard updated information that the fire on board the ship was under control.
The vessel continued to drift about 42 nautical miles west of Bebol in the Indian province of Kerala, within the Indian EEZ. The ship was carrying 157 containers of dangerous goods, covering flammable liquids, combustible solids, self-igniting substances, toxic substances and high-risk goods such as highly toxic pesticides, corrosive chemicals and lithium batteries.
The MPA is coordinating closely with the Indian authorities to support the assessment of the ship's structural integrity and potential environmental impact. Indian authorities are concerned that the ship was carrying 2,128 tons of fuel and dangerous goods, which could have an impact on the shipbuilding environment off the coast of Kerala.
Although Indian media reported that the explosion may have been caused by dangerous goods, Wan Hai said the cause of the explosion was under investigation. The company is working with the competent authorities and insurance companies to handle matters such as subsequent crew rescue, cargo preservation and ship rescue assessment.
On 10 June, Hapag-lloyd, a co-carrier of Wan Hai 503, issued a warning that the vessel exploded and caught fire on its way from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nawasiva, India. Emergency response operations and an official investigation are underway.
The vessel is currently moored off the coast of India and authorities are coordinating firefighting and salvage efforts. The full impact of the cargo is still being assessed and preliminary reports suggest some containers may be affected or lost. The next step will be to contact affected customers directly to clarify the impact of individual shipments and follow-up measures.
It is cautioned that the vessel had previously anchored at several Chinese ports and was carrying a large amount of Chinese cargo.
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