Fire Breaks Out on Oil Tanker off Jawoldo Island in Incheon; 2 Dead, 16 Rescued

A fire broke out on a vessel in the waters near Jawoldo Island in Incheon, leaving two crew members dead and 16 others rescued.

According to the Korea Coast Guard Central Regional Headquarters, the fire broke out at around 10:40 PM yesterday (the 27th) on a 7,000-ton petroleum product carrier in the waters 7.4 kilometers north of Jawoldo Island, Ongjin-gun, Incheon.

As a result of the fire, two male crew members in their 60s and 20s, out of the 18 people on board, were found in cardiac arrest in the engine room and transferred to Jindu Port in Yeongheungdo, but ultimately passed away.

The remaining 16 crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard and are currently waiting on a patrol vessel, with their health conditions confirmed to be stable.

Among the 18 crew members, including the two deceased, 11 are South Korean nationals and the remaining seven are foreign nationals. The carrier that caught fire was identified as a South Korean vessel.

Upon receiving the report, the Coast Guard and fire authorities deployed nine patrol boats and one firefighting vessel to the scene, respectively, and are currently conducting firefighting operations.

A Coast Guard official stated, "Because it is an oil tanker, the flames are not easily being brought under control," adding, "Once the extinguishment work is completed, we plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the scale of the damage."

(Photo provided by Central Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.