China thanks Indian Navy for rescuing 14 Chinese crew after fire on cargo ship off Kerala coast

The Singapore-flagged ship, en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, caught fire on June 9 while sailing 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala.

In a post on X, embassy spokesperson Yu Jing confirmed that of the 22 crew members on board, 14 were Chinese nationals and 6 were from Taiwan.

“On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan,” Jing wrote.

“Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue,” she added, wishing success for ongoing operations and a quick recovery for the injured crew.

The message of thanks comes amid strained ties between India and China following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

Tensions have remained elevated, with diplomatic flashpoints in recent weeks — including India’s firm rebuttal to Chinese media reports regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, and New Delhi’s categorical rejection of Beijing’s attempt to rename locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, firefighting and search operations continued overnight on June 9. The rescued crew were brought ashore at Mangalore Port at around 11:30 pm on Monday.

According to defence officials, Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari remained on site to manage the fire. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft was deployed on Tuesday morning to conduct an aerial assessment of the affected area.