TOKYO (AP) – A South Korean tanker capsized off an island in southwest Japan on Wednesday, killing seven people on board, authorities said. One crew member survived, but the fate of the other three is unknown.
The Japan Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the chemical tanker Keoyoung Sun near the Japanese island of Mutsuren, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Tokyo in southwest Japan, saying the ship was listing as it tried to evacuate from the weather. Announced.
By the time rescuers arrived on the scene, the ship had completely capsized. Footage from Japan's NHK television showed the ship lying upside down, with rough waves rolling over its red bottom.
Officials said there were 11 crew members on board, nine of whom have been recovered. One of the surviving crew members was from Indonesia, and the coast guard is continuing to search for two more. Officials said another person was found and their condition is unknown.
According to NHK, the ship was en route from Japan's Himeji port to Ulsan, South Korea. According to the Coast Guard, the captain was Korean, and the crew included one Korean, one Chinese, and eight Indonesians.
Officials said the tanker was carrying 980 tons of acrylic acid. No leaks have been detected and authorities are considering what environmental protection measures would be needed in the event of a leak.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, acrylic acid is used in plastics, resins, and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Other details, including how the ship capsized, are not known at this time.
