Tokyo, Nov 10 – A Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) minesweeper vessel, Ukushima, suffered a severe fire in its engine room on Sunday, leading to the evacuation of its 40-member crew. Tragically, one crew member remains missing while another has been hospitalized with injuries.
The incident occurred around 9:50 am local time, approximately 2.5 kilometers off the coast of Oshima Island, Fukuoka Prefecture. Petty Officer 3rd Class Tatsunori Koga, 33, was on duty in the engine room at the time and has not yet been located. Another crew member, in his 20s, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment at a nearby hospital.
After the initial blaze was reported, the MSDF vessel Toyoshima assisted in evacuation and firefighting efforts, helping the crew transfer safely by 3:45 pm. Although the fire seemed under control by 2 pm, it reignited later, requiring continued containment efforts.
The Ukushima had departed from the MSDF base in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for a scheduled drill en route to Kagoshima Prefecture. The coast guard is continuing search and recovery efforts as the MSDF investigates the cause of the fire.