2 killed in oil products tanker fire off Incheon

Two individuals lost their lives when an oil products tanker caught fire in waters off Incheon on Thursday night, according to the Coast Guard. The blaze, which broke out around 10:38 p.m. on the 7,000-ton vessel, claimed the lives of a man in his 60s and a man in his 20s, who were found in cardiac arrest and transported to a nearby port but succumbed to their injuries. The remaining 16 crew members were successfully rescued and are currently in stable condition.

The fire was extinguished early Friday morning at approximately 4 a.m. Initial reports suggest that the fire originated in the engine room of the ship, though it did not spread to the oil storage compartment. The Coast Guard has stated that they will investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage. Of the 18 crew members aboard the Korean vessel, 11 were Korean nationals and the remaining seven were foreign nationals.