The incident occurred approximately 80 nautical miles southwest of Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the 22 crew members onboard, 18 jumped into the sea to escape the blaze, with several sustaining burn injuries. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have launched a full-scale rescue and response operation with multiple vessels and aircraft deployed to the scene.

“There were 22 crew members onboard. Eighteen crew members have been accounted for and are in the process of being transferred from lifeboats to a passing vessel. Some injuries have been reported among them. Four crew members remain unaccounted for. There are no Singaporeans onboard,” the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

“The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy are rendering assistance to the crew and conducting search and rescue operations for the missing crew. MPA is in close contact with the vessel’s management company to provide support and is monitoring the situation closely.”

Images from the scene showed thick, dark grey smoke billowing from the cargo hold, with several damaged reefer containers scattered on the uppermost tier, suggesting the fire may have been triggered by an explosion, as widely reported in local media.

Between 20 and 50 of the ship’s 650 containers reportedly fell overboard during the incident. Authorities are now focusing on crew rescue, environmental protection, and salvage coordination. The vessel is adrift, according to the Coast Guard.