Kochi | Fires and explosions continue to rock the Singapore-flagged container vessel off the Kerala coast, with flames reported from the mid-ship area and container bay just ahead of the accommodation block, Indian Coast Guard officials said on Tuesday.

The forward bay fire has been brought under control, but thick smoke continues to rise from the vessel, MV Wan Hai 503. The ship is listing approximately 10 to 15 degrees to port, and more containers have reportedly fallen overboard, they said.

Indian Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet are carrying out firefighting and boundary cooling operations at sea to prevent the flames from spreading further.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard vessel Samarth, carrying a team of salvors, is being deployed from Kochi to support ongoing efforts.

Earlier, a Defence PRO said the Indian Navy ship INS Surat disembarked the 18-member crew of the container vessel, which caught fire on Monday morning, as coordinated firefighting operations continued through the night.

The crew were disembarked at Mangalore Port at 11.30 p m on Monday.

Indian Coast Guard ships Sachet and Samudra Prahari remained engaged in firefighting efforts overnight, he said.

Meanwhile, a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft took off on Tuesday morning to conduct an aerial survey of the incident site.

Officials said Coast Guard vessel Samarth is set to sail out on Tuesday morning, carrying a salvage master to the location of the incident.

The major fire broke out on board the Singapore-flagged ship after a container explosion. Eighteen crew members were rescued, while four remain missing.

The incident occurred at approximately 9.20 am IST, around 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal in Kannur district of Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi