India, June 10 -- The Chinese embassy in India expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard after the rescue of 18 crew members aboard a cargo vessel which caught fire and faced an explosion off the Kerala coast on Monday.

"On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503 encountered onboard explosion and fire 44 nautical miles off Azhikkal, Kerala. Of the total 22 crew members on board, 14 are Chinese, including 6 from Taiwan. Our gratitude goes to the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt and professional rescue," Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India, posted on X on Tuesday.

Jing wished success to further search operations and speedy recovery to the crew members who had suffered injuries.

The 270m-long Si...