Five individuals are missing after a South Korea-flagged chemical tanker carrying 11 people capsized in turbulent waters off Japan, according to the coastguard. So far, six crew members, including two South Koreans, eight Indonesians, and one Chinese national, have been rescued. The coastguard continues to search for the remaining five.
The tanker was transporting acrylic acid, but there is no confirmation yet if any has leaked into the ocean. Details about the condition of the rescued individuals, who were taken to a hospital, are not yet known. Footage from Japanese broadcaster NHK shows the overturned red hull of the ship and a life raft, with the coastguard battling heavy waves and a helicopter overhead.
The crew alerted the coastguard early on Wednesday that the vessel was tilting and requested assistance near Mutsure Island, off Japan's southwestern coast. The Japan Coast Guard received a distress call after 7:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday) reporting that the ship was "tilting, please help us," according to the spokesman. The vessel, named the Keoyoung Sun, is a chemical and oil products tanker built in 1996, measuring 69 meters (226 feet) in length, according to vesselfinder.com. The ship's operator has not provided any comments on the incident.
