China has publicly expressed its gratitude to India for the swift and professional rescue of crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9 following an onboard explosion.Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, shared a message on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming that 14 of the 22 crew members were Chinese nationals, including six from Taiwan. She praised the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt response and lifesaving efforts.
“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 and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue,” Yu Jing posted.
According to official reports, 18 crew members were rescued, while four remain missing and five were injured in the incident. The vessel, which was en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), suffered an explosion in one of its containers, leading to a massive fire. It was sailing approximately 70 nautical miles off Kozhikode when the incident occurred and is currently adrift in the Arabian Sea.Search operations are still ongoing. China has extended its hopes for the safe recovery of the missing crew and a speedy recovery for the injured.Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to predict drift patterns of any containers, debris, or individuals that may have gone overboard. Authorities are also monitoring for a potential oil spill, which could pose environmental and navigational risks.Forecast models indicate that, if oil has leaked, it may drift parallel to the Kerala coastline between June 10 and June 13. Local authorities have been advised to increase coastal surveillance and warn coastal communities to stay alert for any shoreline or marine hazards.
