South Korean Amphib Catches Fire, Injuring Three Crewmembers

[Brief] On Thursday, three crewmembers aboard a Republic of Korea Navy amphib were injured in a fire that broke out in a machinery space, the service reported.

At about 1549 hours on Thursday, the tank landing ship ROKS Hyang Ro Bong caught fire while transiting into a base in the Jinhae district, just west of Busan. The blaze was sparked by one of the vessel's auxiliary engines.

180 people were evacuated from the ship for safety when it reached the pier at 1810 hours, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. Dozens of first responders arrived to help with firefighting, along with fireboats and fire trucks. As of late Thursday, the firefighting efforts were still under way.

One of the vessel's crewmembers sustained first- and second-degree burns from the fire and was taken to a hospital for medical care. The other two victims complained of breathing difficulties, and are reportedly recovering.

ROKS Hyang Ro Bong is a 1,700 dwt tank landing craft commissioned in 1999.