Eight people lost their lives after a South Korean chemical tanker sank off an island in south-western Japan.
The tanker had 980 tonnes of acrylic acid, a corrosive substance used in adhesives, paints and polishes.
One crew member survived and was rescued, and another two are missing after the ship sank.
The Japanese coast guard received a distress call from the chemical tanker Keoyoung Sun, reporting that it was tilting while seeking shelter from bad weather near Japan’s Mutsure Island, approximately 620 miles from Tokyo.
The ship was completely capsized when rescuers arrived at the scene, and footage on NHK showed the ship lying upside down as the sea washed over it.
No leaks have been found from the chemical tanks, but authorities are assessing what environmental protection measures may be necessary.
The ship had 11 crew members, of whom nine have been located, authorities said.
The one crew member who was confirmed alive is from Indonesia, and the coast guard is still searching for two more.
South Korean officials convened a meeting to discuss the incident, and vice foreign minister Kang Insun urged officials to utilize all possible resources to support rescue efforts.
He also asked officials to help the relatives of South Korean crew members, according to the foreign ministry.
The ship was traveling from the Japanese port of Himeji to Ulsan in South Korea, as per the coast guard.
Its captain was South Korean, and its crew included another South Korean, a Chinese national, and eight Indonesians, according to the coast guard.
In November last year, a cargo ship split in half during a violent storm in the Black Sea, resulting in nine deaths.
The Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank off the coast of Eregli, northern Turkey after hitting a breakwater several times, officials said.
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