A Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, caught fire after an under‑deck explosion on June 9 while en route from Colombo to Mumbai, roughly 70–90 nautical miles off Kerala’s Kannur coast. The blaze has rapidly spread through 157 containers loaded with dangerous goods - flammable liquids, solids, spontaneously combustible organometallics, toxic pesticides and chemicals - making firefighting perilous.

Seawater cooling efforts were hampered by intense heat and shifting containers, which have begun to collapse and fall overboard, increasing the risk of leaks.

Despite a heroic joint rescue by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard - INS Surat, Dornier aircraft and interceptor boats - 18 crew were saved while four remain missing. Now listing 10–15°, the stricken ship is drifting, sparking fears it may sink and unleash both toxic cargo and bunker oil into the Arabian Sea.

Maritime authorities have issued alerts, and salvage teams have been mobilized - prioritizing rescue, fire suppression, and halting environmental catastrophe.