Taiwan and China Thank Indian Forces for MV Wan Hai 503 Rescue Efforts

The Taiwan Government has thanked the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for their rapid response to the emergency on board the merchant ship MV Wan Hai 503. The Singapore-flagged container vessel caught fire after an explosion occurred off the Kerala coast.

In a message posted on X, Taiwan in India wrote, “The Taiwan Government is grateful for the swift rescue operation provided by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to Wan Hai 503. We wish the missing crew members return safe and the injured recover soon.”

Indian Forces Continue Firefighting

The Indian Coast Guard has been actively battling the fire that broke out on the ship. The blaze injured several people and led to the evacuation of the crew. Out of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy. Four crew members are still missing.

As of 5:00 PM on Tuesday, the Indian Coast Guard reported visible improvement. “Indian Coast Guard ships continue to fight the fire and attempt to bring the inferno on the container ship MV WAN HAI 503 under control off the Kerala coast. Visible flames have reduced, and thick smoke continues to emanate as of 1700 hours today,” it said.

Chinese Embassy Also Expresses Gratitude

China also appreciated India’s timely intervention. Spokesperson Yu Jing from the Chinese Embassy in India praised the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for saving their nationals.

Yu Jing posted on X, “On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered an 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 and professional rescue. We wish further search operations successful and the injured crew members a speedy recovery.”

Details of the Incident

The incident occurred on June 9 when an explosion below deck triggered a large fire. The ship, en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, was forced to halt operations as the situation worsened. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel carried containerised cargo and had 22 people onboard:

• 8 Chinese

• 6 Taiwanese

• 5 Myanmarese

• 3 Indonesians

Due to the fire’s intensity, the entire crew abandoned the ship. Five crew members were injured during the incident. The Indian Coast Guard quickly launched a firefighting and rescue operation to bring the situation under control.