In this photo released by Indian Coast Guard, smoke rises following an explosion and fire onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala, India, June 9, 2025. Multiple explosions and fires erupted on a cargo ship bound for India's financial capital Mumbai, causing 40 containers to fall into the sea and forcing several crew members to jump overboard to escape the flames, Reuters reported. Photo: VCG

The Chinese Embassy in India confirmed that 14 Chinese crew members, including six from the island of Taiwan, were onboard the container ship that exploded near India's Kerala on Monday local time.

The embassy said that as of 5 pm on Tuesday, two crew members from Taiwan island remained missing.

"We wish further search operations successful and the injured crew members speedy recovery," Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, said on her X on Tuesday night.

"Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue," Yu added.

An explosion and a subsequent fire were reported onboard a cargo vessel off the Kerala coast on Monday. According to a release by the Indian Coast Guard, the fire broke out onboard the Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 following a container explosion at 9:20 am Monday, around 44 nautical miles (81km) off the coast in Azhikkal in Kozhikode district, per the Hindustan Times.

Of the 22 crew members - all nationals from China, Myanmar, Indonesia - onboard, 18 were rescued while four others were reported missing, a defense official said on condition of anonymity, adding that three of the rescued crew members sustained severe injuries, the Hindustan Times reported.

A search and rescue operation was underway, according to the report.

Global Times