18 rescued from blaze-hit container ship brought to Mangaluru by INS Surat, two criticial

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 in Kuntikana here 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.

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.