China Thanks Indian Navy For Rescuing 14 Chinese Crew From Burning Cargo Ship

China has publicly expressed gratitude to India for rescuing 14 of its nationals after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, MV Wan Hai 503, caught fire and suffered explosions off the Kerala coast on June 9, 2025.

The Chinese Embassy in India, through its spokesperson Yu Jing, posted a message on social media thanking the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for their “prompt and professional rescue.” Of the 22 crew members on board, 14 were Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. The post also conveyed hopes for the success of the search for four missing crew members and a speedy recovery for the injured.

The cargo vessel was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva near Mumbai when an onboard explosion in one of its containers caused a major fire. The incident occurred approximately 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal and was later reported to be 78 nautical miles from Beypore, Kerala.

The distress call was received around 9:30 a.m., after which the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy launched a coordinated rescue and firefighting mission.

On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy @indiannavy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt… https://t.co/3V8vr1xVW9

— Yu Jing (@ChinaSpox_India) June 10, 2025

The Navy diverted INS Surat, and Dornier aircraft were deployed for surveillance. The Coast Guard mobilised five ships, Sachet, Arnvesh, Samudra Prahari, Abhinav, and Rajdoot, along with aircraft including C144 and Dornier patrol planes.

In total, 18 crew members were rescued, while four remain missing, two from Taiwan, one from Indonesia, and one from Myanmar. The injured were brought to Mangalore Port by INS Surat and then shifted to AJ Hospital in Kuntikana for treatment.

The fire on board the 270-meter-long vessel continues to burn, with more containers reported to have fallen into the sea. The ship is also listing to its port side due to water accumulation from firefighting efforts, prompting officials to pump out water to prevent capsizing.

Authorities suspect the ship may have been carrying hazardous cargo, given the repeated explosions. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has activated its SARAT tool to track drifting debris, missing crew, and a possible oil spill. Forecasts indicate the spill could drift parallel to the coast until June 13. As a precautionary measure, shoreline surveillance has been intensified.

pic.twitter.com/Z42UWfPhFa

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 9, 2025

This is the second major incident near Kerala in recent weeks. On May 24, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 sank off the coast, leading to the rescue of 24 crew members and a pollution response after oil and chemicals leaked into the sea.

Commodore R.S. Vasan (Retd.) told the media that China was subtly trying to make a political point by counting Taiwanese crew as Chinese nationals. He stated that India’s rescue operations are about saving lives, not about nationality or politics.

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have been widely praised for their swift and humanitarian response to the crisis at sea.

References: FirstPost, Hindustan Times

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