Six Injured as Russian Cargo Ship Catches Fire Departing South Korea

Korean officials report they organized the rescue of the crew from a Russian-flagged cargo ship which caught fire shortly after it departed Busan on March 26. Initial reports said three crewmembers were injured but it was later revised to a total of six, with two badly burned and the other four with more minor injuries.

The ship, Crystal Asia, is a refrigerated cargo ship built in 1993 and operating under the Russian flag since 2016. The ship is 8,000 dwt and operates from Vladivostok.

The Korean Coast Guard reports the vessel departed Busan with ballast at around 0700 local time. Shortly after, while it was approximately 5 miles from the port, smoke was seen billowing from the vessel. The Coast Guard said it was a presumed engine failure but it was working to determine if it was a smoke condition or a fire burning on the ship. Multiple rescue boats were dispatched.

Crewmembers later told the Coast Guard that the smoke was coming from an engine failure. However, the Coast Guard said its initial inspection showed traces of an explosion inside the ship.

The rescue teams assisted with the firefighting. They removed the 23 crewmembers from the vessel and transported them to shore.

A tug was later able to secure the vessel and moved it back to Busan Port where it is now docked.