18 rescued from blaze-hit container ship brought to Mangaluru; two critical
Among the rescued, two are said to be in critical condition, while four sustained minor injuries and 12 others suffered varying levels of trauma
Eighteen crew members rescued from the blaze-hit Singapore-flagged container ship were safely brought to the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Coast Guard berth at Panambur by Indian Naval Ship INS Surat.
Among the rescued, two are said to be in critical condition, while four sustained minor injuries and 12 others suffered varying levels of trauma.
The injured were evacuated and transported to AJ Hospital at Kuntikana in Mangaluru late on Monday night.
“The critically injured were stabilised onboard INS Surat, and shifted on arrival under close medical supervision. Immediate evacuation was our priority,” a Coast Guard official told reporters.
Also read | Singapore-flagged ship catches fire off Kerala coast, Navy steps in to rescue
He added that immigration, port, and police authorities worked in unison to ensure a seamless handover and medical transfer.
The ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire on Sunday in the Arabian Sea off Kerala coast, had 22 crew members on board. While 18 have now been rescued, four remain unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Port workers described emotional scenes as the injured disembarked — some helped by fellow crewmates, others in stretchers, whispering prayers of gratitude or anxiously inquiring about their missing colleagues.
Firefighting underway
Meanwhile, Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari remained engaged in firefighting efforts overnight, a Defence spokesperson said.
A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft took off on Tuesday morning to conduct an aerial survey of the incident site, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard vessel Samarth is set to sail out, carrying a salvage master to the location of the incident.
(With agency inputs)