Two crew members killed in oil tanker fire off South Korea

Two crew members have died after a fire erupted on an oil products tanker off the coast of South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the Coast Guard. The incident occurred on Thursday, with the blaze being extinguished around 4 a.m. on Friday.

The 7,333-ton vessel was reportedly carrying 18 crew members at the time of the incident, including seven foreign nationals. The two victims were discovered deceased in the engine room. The remaining 16 crew members were successfully rescued by the Coast Guard.

The tanker was situated in waters off Incheon when the fire broke out. While authorities are investigating the cause, initial suspicions point to the engine room as the origin of the blaze. Importantly, the fire did not spread to the vessel's oil cargo tanks, averting a potentially larger disaster.

Further details regarding the nationality of the crew members and the specific circumstances leading to the fire are expected as the investigation progresses.