Yeosu: An oil tanker and a cargo ship caught fire in the southern coastal city of Yeosu early Saturday, resulting in one fatality and injuring two others. The incident occurred when a fire broke out on the 2,692-ton tanker and the 24-ton cargo vessel, which were moored next to each other at 1:04 a.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Coast Guard in Yeosu, located approximately 320 kilometers south of Seoul, received an alert from witnesses on another ship. All 18 crew members from both vessels were rescued, but the captain of the smaller cargo ship was found unconscious and later pronounced dead. Additionally, two foreign-born crew members from the oil tanker sustained burn injuries.

The fire was successfully extinguished by 7:45 a.m., but the cause of the blaze remains unknown. The Coast Guard reported that the tanker was carrying approximately 2,500 tons of toxic chemicals. However, it has not yet been confirmed if these chemicals spilled into the ocean.