A Singapore-flagged cargo vessel on its way to Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai from Colombo caught fire 88 nautical miles off the Kerala coast in Beypore.

A defence ministry spokesperson in Kochi said four of the 22 crew members of the vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, were missing. Two of the five crew members were badly injured in the explosion.

This is the second shipwreck off the Kerala coast in less than three weeks. On May 25, a Liberian ship sank off the coast of Kochi, which has since released hazardous substances into the sea.

MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire after an explosion at 9.20am on Monday. The official statement said that fire engulfed the entire vessel and it was currently adrift.

The vessel had 22 crew members onboard. The crew, predominantly of Taiwanese nationality, abandoned the ship — 10 in lifeboats and 8 in liferafts — and were picked up by One Marvel, a container ship.

The missing crew belongs to Taiwan (2), Indonesia and Myanmar (1 each). Twenty containers reportedly fell into the sea following multiple explosions, which led to the fire. The 270-metre-long vessel had departed from Colombo on Saturday evening and was scheduled to reach Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard said: “The details of the cargo onboard are being ascertained to determine the nature of the fire and the potential risks involved during firefighting operations.

“ICG is maintaining coordination with DG Shipping, state administration and the vessel owners to devise the response plan for the evolving situation. At present, the vessel is far from shore and all efforts will be undertaken to deter the vessel from closing in to the coast in coordination with stakeholders.”