Three die when South Korean vessel catches fire near Antarctica

[News_Editor]

Three die when South Korean vessel catches fire near Antarctica

2012-01-12 22:33:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- Three Vietnamese crew members were killed on Wednesday when a South Korean fishing vessel caught fire near Antarctica, emergency officials said on Thursday. Several others were injured.

The 51-meter (167 feet) South Korean fishing boat Jeong Woo 2 caught fire in the Ross Sea about 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometers) southeast of New Zealand, or about 600 kilometers (372 miles) north-northeast of McMurdo Station, a U.S. Antarctic research center on the southern tip of Ross Island.

Officials at the Rescue Coordination Center New Zealand (RCCNZ) said the distress call came in just before 3 a.m. New Zealand time on Wednesday. Three Vietnamese crew members were killed when a fire broke out in the ship's accommodation block while the crew was sleeping.

Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Geoff Lunt said the Jeong Woo 2 was said to be well alight from bow to stern, but still on an even keel. The ship was carrying a total of 40 crew members, most of whom were able to get onto a lifeboat.

Seven crew members suffered burn injuries and were transferred to the U.S. research vessel 'Nathaniel B Palmer' which is making its way to McMurdo Station. A U.S. Air Force (USAF) aircraft, a C17 Globemaster III, was scheduled to leave New Zealand for McMurdo later on Thursday to pick them up.

"Weather permitting, it's expected that the USAF aircraft will get to McMurdo base about 2 a.m. tomorrow (Friday), arriving about the same time as the American research vessel Nathaniel B Palmer, which is currently making her way through the ice with the seven injured crew on board," said RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Greg Johnston.

Johnston said the rescue mission is dependent on the weather and sea conditions, with fog at McMurdo currently causing poor visibility. "However, a back up aircraft, a LC 130 Hercules based at McMurdo, is also available if the larger C17 aircraft can't take off," he said.

Johnston said once both the vessel and the aircraft have reached McMurdo, the injured crew will be transferred to the aircraft and flown back to Christchurch in New Zealand for treatment. "All going well, the aircraft will depart McMurdo about 5 a.m., arriving back in New Zealand around 10 a.m., but there are still a number of factors that could cause this to be delayed," he said.

Officials said two of the seven injured men have received extensive burns, about 50 percent and 30 percent respectively, although both of them have recovered consciousness. The five others have received lighter burns.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

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