Daily Sabah (Turkey)

8 killed as S. Korean tanker sinks off Japan

- TOKYO / AP

AT LEAST eight people were killed yesterday when a South Korean tanker capsized off an island in southweste­rn Japan, local authoritie­s said.

One crew member survived and the fate of two others remains unknown.

The Japan Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the chemical tanker Keoyoung Sun, saying that it was tilting while seeking refuge from the weather near Japan’s Mutsure Island, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Tokyo in southweste­rn Japan.

The ship was completely capsized by the time rescuers arrived at the scene. Footage on Japan’s NHK television showed the ship lying upside down, a rough sea washing over its red underside.

The ship was carrying 11 crew, of whom nine have been found, authoritie­s said. The one crew member confirmed alive was from Indonesia, while the coast guard is still searching for two more.

The ship was en route from the Japanese port of Himeji to Ulsan in South Korea, according to NHK. Its captain was South Korean, and its crew included another South Korean national, a Chinese national and eight Indonesian­s, according to the coast guard.

The tanker was carrying 980 tons of acrylic acid, officials said. No leak has been detected, and officials are studying what environmen­tal protection measures may be needed in case there is a leak.

Acrylic acid is used in plastics, resin and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes, according to the U.S. Environmen­tal Protection Agency.

No other details, including how the ship capsized, were immediatel­y known.

 ?? ?? The chemical tanker sank off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, March 20, 2024.
The chemical tanker sank off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, March 20, 2024.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Türkiye