On March 14, the 91 meter long tanker Sun Wing caught fire in the Sea of Japan off Busan, South Korea. The crew of the tanker, loaded with nitric and sulfuric acid, reported the vessel was on fire and suffered a hull breach. The 16 crew abandoned ship into the vessel’s life rafts as it engulfed in flames. The Korean Coast Guard dispatched helicopters and ships to the scene. All 16 crew were rescued. Three were injured by burns and were taken to hospital. No further details reported.
The 169 meter long, 28423 dwt bulk carrier CSE Clipper Express ran aground in the Sea of Japan off Honshu Island near Yorihonjo, Japan. The CSE Clipper Express had departed from Akita in ballast bound for Taiwan when it caught in a severe snowstorm with waves reaching 8 meters high. The strong winds pushed the CSE Clipper Express into shallow water. The 20 crew stayed on board the vessel due to the severe weather. No reports of injuries. Authorities state there has not been any water ingress or pollution released.
The 82 meter long, 3085 dwt cargo vessel Poline capsized and sank in the Sea of Japan. The Poline was en route to Taytsang, China from Plastun, Russia with 2034 tons of lumber when it suffered a cargo shift in stormy weather. The crew was able to send out a distress call before it Poline overturned. Several nearby vessels responded to the scene. The cargo ship Aldan and Golden Suek along with the bulk carrier Simferopol and Hanjin Newport arrived on scene finding Poline’s keel. The Aldan rescued 5 crew from a liferaft and the Golden Suek rescued another 2 crewmen. The Hanjin Newport rescued 2 men, but one later died. Reports state one crewmen was still missing.