New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): The government of Taiwan has expressed its appreciation to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard for their swift response in rescuing crew members from the merchant vessel Wan Hai 503.
In a post on X, the Taiwan mission in India stated, “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.”
The statement comes as the Indian Coast Guard continues firefighting efforts on the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire following an explosion onboard. Of the 22 crew members, 18 were rescued by the Indian Navy, while four remain missing.
As of 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the Indian Coast Guard reported visible flames on the ship had diminished, though thick smoke continued to billow from the vessel. “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,” the Coast Guard stated.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in India also extended its gratitude to the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for their “prompt and professional” rescue of crew members aboard the ship, which suffered an explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Kerala’s Azhikkal coast.
Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, noted that the ship’s crew included citizens from China and Taiwan. “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,” Yu posted on X.
The vessel, which was transporting containerized cargo, was en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva when the explosion occurred. Following the escalation of the fire, the crew abandoned the ship. Reports indicate that five crew members sustained injuries, and four remain unaccounted for.
The 22-member crew included eight Chinese nationals, six Taiwanese, five from Myanmar, and three Indonesians. Indian Coast Guard vessels remain deployed for ongoing firefighting and search-and-rescue operations.
(ANI)
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