One member of Japan's Self-Defense Forces is missing and another is injured after a minesweeper caught fire in the country's southwestern waters.
NHK reported that the MSDF minesweeper Ukushima caught fire on the morning of November 10 while it was in the waters off Fukuoka Prefecture. The fire may have originated in the ship's engine room.
Fire on Ukushima ship on the evening of November 10
PHOTO: KYODO NEWS SCREENSHOT
By the morning of November 11, the ship had capsized and the fire was extinguished. However, one sailor was missing and another suffered minor injuries, smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The missing person is officer Tatsunori Koga (33 years old) who worked in the engine room, according to Kyodo News. He is suspected to have been trapped there, where the fire occurred.
The minesweeper Toyoshima and a coast guard vessel joined in fighting the fire. According to The Japan Times , the fire was brought under control after several hours but then flared up again at 3 p.m. on November 10. Due to the intensity of the fire, all crew members of the Ukushima except the missing person were evacuated to the minesweeper Toyoshima. After that, several explosions were heard. By early November 11, the ship capsized and the fire was immediately extinguished.
The minesweeper Ukushima is believed to have been carrying 45 SDF members. Minesweepers like the Ukushima are typically designed with wooden hulls to prevent explosions caused by magnetic reactions to mines. The SDF's relevant unit will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the incident.
The Ukushima is stationed at the port of Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture (Japan). The ship is 54 meters long and has a displacement of 510 tons. The ship left the port on the morning of November 10 to participate in a minesweeping exercise off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tau-quet-min-nhat-ban-chay-va-lat-mot-thuy-thu-mat-tich-18524111107421269.htm
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