Explosion on High Seas: MV Wan Hai 503 Incident Near Kerala

An explosion occurred on the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Kerala on Monday morning, according to a Defence PRO statement.

The Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Mumbai first reported the underdeck blast at around 10:30 am, relaying the information to its Kochi counterparts. The vessel, measuring 270 meters long with a draught of 12.5 meters, had departed from Colombo on June 7, en route to Mumbai.

In response to the incident, the Indian Navy rerouted INS Surat, previously scheduled to dock in Kochi, to provide immediate assistance. Moreover, a Navydornier aircraft sortie from INS Garuda in Kochi is being planned to evaluate the situation and coordinate necessary support.

(With inputs from agencies.)