A cargo ship en route to Mumbai erupted in flames, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel off the southern coast of India. While some crew were plucked to safety, a search operation is underway for missing crew

A cargo ship en route to Mumbai erupted in flames, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel off the southern coast of India. While some crew were plucked to safety, a search operation is underway for missing crew members

High-seas rescue: Crew abandon flaming cargo ship off India

A cargo ship en route to Mumbai erupted in flames, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel off the southern coast of India. While some crew were plucked to safety, a search operation is underway for missing crew members

A thick plume of black smoke rising from the WAN HAI 503
The ship was reportedly en route from Sri Lanka to Mumbai, India

The Indian Coast Guard deployed four vessels to rescue crew members from the burning Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503, which was on fire approximately 144 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Kerala in southern India.

The crew reported an explosion followed by a fire onboard on Monday morning. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.

Video footage captured from a Coast Guard aircraft showed large plumes of black smoke billowing from the vessel.