A massive fire broke out on a Singaporean cargo ship in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of India’s Kerala state. Four crew members are still missing.
The ship, MV Wan Hai 503, was traveling from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Mumbai, India. On Monday, a container on board exploded, causing a huge fire. The Indian Coast Guard and navy are trying to put out the flames.
So far, 18 crew members have been rescued and taken to safety. They’re being treated for injuries. The four missing crew members are from Taiwan, Myanmar, and Indonesia.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services warned that oil might spill from the ship or debris could float ashore. At least 50 containers fell into the sea and are drifting near the Kerala coast. The Centre warned that they could wash up on the shore within three days.
This is the second ship accident off the Kerala coast in three weeks. Last month, a Liberian cargo ship carrying oil and toxic substances sank in the Arabian Sea, raising concerns about the impact on public health and marine life.
Source: BBC