16-member Crew Missing After Korean Ship Sinks

Seven Korean and nine Indonesian crew members went missing yesterday after their cargo ship sunk after colliding with an automobile carrier in Japanese waters.

The 4,000-ton Orchid Pia collided with the Panamanian-registered 10,000-ton Cygnus Ace in waters 13 kilometers east of Izu Oshima at 2:15 a.m.

The crew of the Cygnus Ace was reportedly unharmed, but the entire crew onboard the Orchid Pia went missing.

Loaded with 5,050 tons of steel coil, the Orchid Pia left the Japanese port of Kagoshima and was on its way to Yeosu in Korea’s South Jeolla Province.

The Japan Coast Guard has mobilized nine patrol boats and four airplanes for a search and rescue operation.

kchwang@donga.com