Eight Missing As Cargo Ship Sinks Off Tokyo After Collision, Fatality Reported

Beagle II, sister vessel of the Beagle III, image via Wisdom Lines

UPDATE: The  17,224 dwt  MV Beagle III is considered a total loss, according to a statement from Wisdom Marine Group. Eleven Chinese crew were subsequently rescued and one fatality has been confirmed. A search is underway for the remaining eight crewmembers, the statement said.

March 18 (Bloomberg) — A Taiwanese general cargo vessel sank near Tokyo, killing one of its crew, after a collision with a container ship, Japan’s Transport Ministry said.

Beagle III collided with a South Korean container ship [Pegasus Prime], which was heading into the port near Miura Peninsula, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement today. Eight of the 20 on board the Taiwanese ship are still missing, it said.

The Taiwanese vessel, which belongs to Wisdom Marine Group, carried steel coils, Bruce Hsueh, a spokesman for the Taipei- based company, said by phone. Wisdom Marine is working with authorities to rescue missing crew and prevent pollution, he said.

Hsueh couldn’t confirm the death of a crew member and said nine people are missing.

The South Korean ship, carrying 460 20-foot containers from Busan port, wasn’t damaged much and two of its crew were injured, Seoul-based Dong Young Shipping Co. said in an e-mailed response to questions.

The collision was reported to Japanese authorities at 3:18 a.m. local time.

– Kyunghee Park, with assistance from Yu-Huay Sun in Taipei.

(c) 2014 Bloomberg