Fire Onboard Antarctic Fishing Boat Kills 3

Three crew members are dead after a fire onboard their 167-foot fishing boat broke out early Wednesday. Two of the 37 who were rescued received severe burns.

South Korean owned, Jung Woo 2, caught fire in the Ross Sea about 370 miles north of U.S. McMurdo Station Antarctic base. Officials say the fire began in the accommodation area of the vessel and spread quickly to the ship’s engine room and fish processing area. The crewmembers attempted to put out the blaze but were unable to combat the flames.

Distress calls were sent out just before 3 a.m. New Zealand time. The injured crew was transferred to a U.S. research vessel, Nathaniel B. Palmer, where they received treatment. The fishermen have been taken to McMurdo Base.

The three men who lost their lives, most likely asleep when the fire started,  never made it out of their living quarters. Twenty-five of the men made it onto one of the ships life rafts; the other life raft was destroyed in the fire, leaving 12 men onboard to wait for rescuers.

The Jung Woo2 is owned by the Sunwoo Corporation and is registered in South Korea. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.