UKUSHIMA

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One crew member went missing in engine room fire, ship sank

On Nov 10, 2024, at 9.40 a.m. LT a fire broke out in the engine room of the 'Ukushima', while the minesweeper was sailing north of Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu, en route to southeastern Kyushu for mine warfare drills. An unitial attempt by the crew to contain the blaze failed. As the fire began to engulf the vessel, the Japan Coast Guard dispatched a fire fighting vessel to assist, while the MSDF redirected the minesweeper 'Toyoshima' to the scene. After several hours of fire fighting, the fire looked as if it was contained. However, it flared up again a short time later and spread through out the wooden hull. Firefighting efforts were ongoing as of 8:30 p.m. after the crew was evacuated to the 'Toyoshima'. When the evacuation was completed, a roll call found that the petty officer on duty in the engine room had been left on board the 'Ukushima'. Another crew member, was also on duty in the engine room at the time of the incident had to be taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. The flames continued to engulf the 'Ukushima' until the vessel capsized and sank. The Coast Guard have dispatched divers to inspect the wreck and search the vessel for the missing officer. The MSDF has launched an investigation into the incident. Report with video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-8ESzG3YQY&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fshipwrecklog.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE