MUMBAI: A massive fire engulfed the Singapore-flagged container ship ‘Wan Hai 503’ owned by Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines following an explosion in an onboard container on Monday morning, about 44 nautical miles off the coast of Azhikkal in Kerala.

The ship was enroute to Nhava Sheva in Mumbai from Colombo when the fire broke out and the ship is currently adrift with smoke emitting due to the onboard blaze which has engulfed the entire ship.

Out of the 22 crew members onboard, four are currently reported missing who went for the initial firefighting response and five have sustained injuries, out of whom two crew members have suffered severe burns. The crew, predominantly of Taiwanese nationality, have abandoned the ship, 10 in lifeboats and 8 in life rafts.

Wan Hai Lines has been directed by the Indian authorities to appoint a professional salvor and firefighting expert immediately. Preliminary contact has been made with SMIT Salvage for specialized assistance, according to information provided by the ship manager, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM).

The Taiwanese ship owner has been asked to promptly assess and report the nature of cargo in the affected hold of the ship to ascertain any hazardous material presence. No information has yet been received on whether dangerous goods were involved in the explosion, according to a government official.

This is the second incident involving a container ship on the Indian coast in two weeks after the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 capsized and sank off the coast of Kochi on May 25.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy responded swiftly by deploying three Dornier aircraft -- two by ICG and one by the Indian Navy -- equipped with life rafts for aerial support and situational assessment. Additionally, two ICG surface ships have been dispatched and are expected to arrive at the vessel’s location soon. A total of five ships have been deployed by the ICG and are expected to reach the scene shortly.

Further, an Indian Naval Warship operating in the area has been diverted and is expected to reach the location soon, a government official said.

The Directorate General of Shipping has informed the Flag Administration of Singapore on the incident. A communication was also issued by the DG Shipping requesting that the owners be advised to immediately appoint qualified salvors and firefighting experts to assess the cargo situation and provide expert guidance to support ongoing firefighting operations led by the Indian Coast Guard considering the nature of cargo carried onboard.

The nearby merchant vessel MV AMBRA and MV ONE MARVEL have also been alerted and directed to proceed to the site to provide immediate assistance.

The fire poses a significant risk of further explosions and potential structural compromise, according to DG Shipping.