Beijing: China has thanked India for successfully rescuing the crew by the Indian Navy after a fire broke out on a Singapore-flagged ship near the Kerala coast. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing in India thanked the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for the rescue operation. There were 22 crew members on board the ship, including 14 Chinese citizens.
Yu Jing wrote on X, ‘We express our gratitude to the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for the rescue operation. We wish the further search operation a success and wish the injured crew members a speedy recovery.
For the unversed, on Monday morning, a Singapore-flagged container ship named MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire after an explosion near the coast of Beypore (Kozhikode, Kerala). There were a total of 22 crew members on board this ship, including 14 Chinese citizens.
Upon receiving the information about the incident, the Indian Navy took immediate action and diverted INS Surat from Kochi port to the spot. The Indian Coast Guard also deployed several resources for rescue work, including ICGS Rajdoot (from Mangaluru coast), ICGS Arnavesh (from Kochi coast) and ICGS Sachet (from Agatti coast). A CG Dornier aircraft was also sent to assess the situation.
The fire was partially brought under control, but thick smoke continued to rise from the ship. By late Monday night, 18 crew members were rescued and brought to Mangaluru, while 4 members are still missing. On Tuesday, officials have issued an advisory regarding a possible oil spill.
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