The agency informed that the fire and explosions on the cargo ship are mainly taking place in the central section; it warned that, as a result of the inclination, more containers were also detached from the ship, with hazardous and flammable materials on board.

Although the fire in the bow is under control, dense smoke continues to rise. The ship is tilting approximately 10 to 15 degrees to port (left side). More containers have been detached, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services warned that some of these containers could reach the coast of Kerala.

The Coast Guard vessels Samudra Prahari and Sachet are conducting firefighting and cooling operations. Another vessel, the Samarth, is being deployed from the port of Kochi, the Coast Guard reported.

It added that of the 22 crew members on the vessel, 18 rescued people were taken to the port of Mangaluru on Monday night and handed over to the shipping agent for hospital treatment.

A Dornier aircraft was deployed Tuesday to conduct aerial surveillance, and a decision on the course of action will be made later, the agency reported.

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