Two Dead in Oil Tanker Fire Off Incheon

Two crew members died after a fire broke out aboard a 7,000-ton ship carrying oil products in waters off Incheon, west of Seoul, the Coast Guard said. The fire has since been extinguished. The blaze started at around 10:38 p.m. Thursday. Of the 18 crew members aboard, a man in his 60s and a man in his 20s were found in cardiac arrest and were taken to a nearby port, where they were later confirmed dead. The remaining 16 crew members were rescued and are reported to be in stable condition. Firefighters brought the blaze fully under control by around 4 a.m. Friday. Authorities said the fire is suspected to have originated in the vessel's engine room and did not spread to the oil storage compartment, limiting the extent of the damage. Of the 18 crew members aboard the Korean-flagged vessel, 11 were Korean nationals and seven were foreign nationals. The Coast Guard said it plans to investigate the exact cause of the fire and assess the full scope of the damage to the ship.