The affected vessel, the Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503, was travelling from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai. There were 22 crew members on board when the massive fire erupted

According to a statement from the Defence PRO, the fire erupted on the container vessel after an explosion in one of its containers at approximately 9:30 AM. Following the blast, the fire rapidly spread to other containers, compelling the crew to abandon the ship and seek refuge in life rafts

According to officials, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) responded quickly, diverting assets to coordinate rescue operations. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai also diverted a nearby merchant vessel, MV One Marvel, to assist

The Indian Navy, in a closely coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation with the Coast Guard, DG Shipping, and other stakeholders, safely rescued 18 of the 22 crew members 

Following the incident on June 9th the Indian Navy immediately deployed INS Surat and a Dornier aircraft to render necessary assistance. At about 1630 hr, INS Surat safely rescued 18 out of 22 crew members 

However, officials have confirmed that every effort is being made to control the fire and locate the missing crew members