OAN Staff Abril Elfi
10:20 AM – Monday, June 9, 2025
An explosion and fire broke out onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Southern India, causing the disappearance of at least four crew members.
According to Commandant Amit Uniyal, out of the 22 crew members on board, 18 abandoned the vessel with assistance from the Indian navy and coast guard while four are currently missing.
Uniyal stated that out of the four missing, two are Taiwanese nationals, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar. He also said that one of the rescued crew members sustained serious injuries as well.
The commandant said that ships have been sent out to help put out the fire and aid those in need. The navy and coast guard have also launched a search operation for the missing, aided by a Dornier aircraft.
“The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,” said Uniyal. “Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environmental hazards remains the priority for the coast guard.”
The ship had left the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7th and was set to arrive in Mumbai, India, on Monday.
The cause of the explosion and fire is still under investigation.
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