Oil tanker, cargo ship fire kills 1, injures 2 in southern South Korea
It is not yet known if tanker's 2,500 tons of toxic chemicals spilled into ocean
File Photo
ISTANBUL
A fire on an oil tanker and a cargo ship has killed one person and injured two others Saturday in South Korea, according to Yonhap News.
The 2,692-ton tanker and the 24-ton cargo ship, docked side by side, caught fire at 1.04 am local time (1604GMT Friday) in the southern coastal city of Yeosu, according to that city’s coast guard.
All 18 crewmembers -- 14 aboard the tanker and four on the cargo ship -- were rescued. But the captain of the smaller ship was found unconscious and later pronounced dead.
Two foreign-born crewmembers aboard the tanker were also reported to have sustained burn injuries.
The blaze was brought under control at around 7.45 am, though its cause has yet to be determined.
The tanker contained 2,500 tons of toxic chemicals, according to the coast guard.
It is also not known yet whether the chemicals spilled into the ocean.
