At least eight persons are dead and two missing after a South Korean chemical tanker capsized Wednesday near Japan, authorities revealed, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Only one crew member from the Keoyoung Sun, a tanker, is known to have survived the ordeal, authorities said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Video Shows Two UK Royal Navy Ships Collide Off Bahrain Coast)
BREAKING: Japan coast guard says 7 crew from capsized South Korean tanker have been pronounced dead and 2 are still missing https://t.co/g5bMuWmHRx
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 20, 2024
A distress call from the Keoyung Sun broadcasted to the Japan Coast Guard reported they were tilting while trying to seek refuge from adverse weather, the AP reported. A weather station had dispatched warnings about strong wind and high waves around 7 in the morning, The Japan Times reported. The South Korean government held a meeting to discuss organizing resources to facilitate rescue efforts of the South Korean crew, the Foreign Ministry said, according to the AP.
Officials stated that the Keoyoung Sun was hauling 980 tons of acrylic acid, an organic compound known to be corrosive, the AP reported. The compound can be “a strong irritant to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in humans” and can cause blindness due to eye contact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The acid is used for plastic, paint and other products, the agency noted. No leaking of this corrosive material has been discovered so far, the AP reported.
The Keoyoung Sun was traveling from Himeji, a port in Japan, to the South Korean port of Ulsan when the capsizing occurred, according to Japan Coast Guard officials, NHK reported.