A South Korean tanker capsized off an island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, killing seven people on board, authorities said.
One crew member survived, but the fate of the other three is unknown.
The Japan Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the chemical tanker Keoyoung Sun, which said the vessel was heeling as it sought shelter from the weather near Japan’s Mutsuren Island, about 690 miles from Tokyo in southwest Japan.
By the time rescuers arrived on the scene, the ship had completely capsized.
Footage from Japan’s NHK television showed the ship lying upside down, with rough waves rolling over its red bottom.
Officials said there were 11 crew members on board, nine of whom have been recovered.
One of the surviving crew members was from Indonesia, and the coast guard is continuing to search for two more.
Another person was found and his condition was unknown, officials said.
According to NHK, the ship was en route from Japan’s Himeji port to Ulsan, South Korea.
According to the Coast Guard, the captain was Korean, and the crew included one Korean, one Chinese, and eight Indonesians.
Officials said the tanker was carrying 980 tons of acrylic acid.
No leaks have been detected and authorities are considering what environmental protection measures would be needed in the event of a leak.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, acrylic acid is used in plastics, resins, and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Other details, including how the ship capsized, are not known at this time.
