National

Container Ship Blaze Off Kerala Coast: Navy Rescues 18 Crew Members, 4 Still Unaccounted For

Published

9 months ago

June 10, 2025

A Singapore-flagged container ship, MV Wan Hai 503, experienced a fire in the Arabian Sea near Kozhikode on Monday, approximately 78 nautical miles off Beypore. The vessel was reportedly loaded with highly flammable cargo, and the fire was ignited by several explosions, causing around 20 containers to fall into the sea. There were 22 crew members aboard, most of whom are Taiwanese nationals.

Of the 22 crew members, 18 jumped overboard and were subsequently rescued by the Navy. Four crew members are currently missing after attempting to extinguish the fire. Injuries were reported among five crew members, with two sustaining serious burns.

The State Disaster Management Authority confirmed that the fire broke out 144 km northwest of Kozhikode, which is 70 nautical miles from Beypore and 40 nautical miles from Azhikkal. The Indian Coast Guard quickly mobilized resources for assessment and assistance, diverting four ships to the scene along with additional Indian Navy assets.

In a statement, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) indicated that they received a distress signal from the MV Wan Hai 503 around 0930 hrs regarding an explosion and the resulting fire 88 nautical miles from Beypore. The ICG’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched MV One Marvel, which managed to rescue 18 crew members; one of whom has been reported with serious injuries.

The ICG confirmed that four crew members (two Taiwanese, one Indonesian, and one Myanmarese) remain missing following the explosion, and search operations are ongoing. An ICG Dornier aircraft is currently monitoring the situation for real-time updates.

At present, the vessel is adrift, and the Indian Coast Guard has begun firefighting operations to manage the blaze. There are ongoing efforts to ascertain the nature of the cargo aboard in order to evaluate the associated risks during firefighting efforts.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed the Kozhikode and Ernakulam district administrations to prepare for medical assistance if any crew members are brought ashore.

The 270-meter ship was traveling from Colombo to Mumbai, with an expected arrival date of June 10. The specifics of the cargo lost overboard remain unknown, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Authorities indicate that the ship is currently out of control, and firefighting efforts are ongoing. The Indian authorities have communicated relevant information to Singapore’s shipping officials.

This incident marks the second maritime accident off the coast of Kerala in recent weeks. On May 24, the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA-3 sank 14 nautical miles off Kochi, releasing hundreds of containers, including 13 containing hazardous materials, into the sea.

National

Pickup Vehicle Crashes Into Divider, Two Killed Including Child

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A tragic road accident took place in Uttar Pradesh when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed into a road divider.

The driver and a three-year-old girl died on the spot due to the impact of the crash. Nine passengers who were travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries. They were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Reports said the victims were travelling to their native village to celebrate the Holi festival. A video showing the horrifying scene of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding may have led to the accident. Police have started an investigation into the incident.

National

Five from Karnataka Killed in Car–Container Collision in Andhra Pradesh

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Namma Kudla

Andhra Pradesh: Five people from Karnataka were killed on the spot after the car they were travelling in rammed into a container truck from behind in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday.

The accident occurred near Gangavaram in Palamaneru while the victims were on their way to Tirupati temple from Bengaluru. According to police, the car crashed into the rear of a container vehicle with great force, leaving the vehicle completely mangled.

The deceased have been identified as Mohandas (71), Nagaraj (61), Kusuma (61), Jayanti (59), and Pooja (33). All of them were residents of Rajajinagar in Bengaluru.

Preliminary reports suggest that the impact of the collision was so severe that all five occupants died at the scene. Police have registered a case at the Palamaneru police station and further investigation is underway.

More details are awaited.

National

Woman Kills Ex-Lover Over Blackmail in Ballia

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A married woman allegedly killed her former lover in Ballia after he blackmailed her with private videos, police said.

According to police, the victim was identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh. He was reportedly in a relationship with the woman from a nearby village.

Police said the woman wanted to end the relationship. However, Gupta allegedly began blackmailing her using obscene videos and harassed her repeatedly.

Unable to bear the threats, the woman informed her brother and sister-in-law. The trio allegedly planned the murder during a wedding function on February 5.

On February 7, they allegedly called Gupta to the village on a pretext. He was strangled to death, police said. The accused then poured acid on his face to hide his identity and tried to destroy evidence.

An unidentified body with a disfigured face was found on February 10. The crime was later solved during the investigation.

Police have arrested three accused, including the woman, and sent them to judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects involved in the case.