TOKYO: A dozen Chinese crew members were rescued by Japan’s coastguard when their Panama-registered boat caught fire in a Japanese bay, an official said yesterday.
Television footage showed thick smoke pouring from the Hao Han, a 1,999-tonne cargo vessel, as the ship listed badly in waters off Osaka, in Western Japan.
Japan’s coastguard, which has recently been heavily involved in a standoff with Beijing, pulled the crew to safety and was tackling the blaze.
“There were no injuries among the crew,” a coastguard spokesman said, adding the first information had come in on Thursday.
AFP
