Five Rescued, One Died in Tugboat Fire off Japan

[Brief] The Japanese Coast Guard received reports Friday morning of a fire aboard a tugboat located approximately 20 nautical miles north of Miyako Island in southern Japan. Reports indicate that five crewmembers were rescued from a life raft, but that one person was missing and later found deceased.

The tug Cebu Maru (237 gross tons) was sailing to the Philippines when the report was issued around 8:15 a.m. local time for a fire aboard. Built in 1997, the tug is 36 meters (118 feet) and was reportedly sold recently and is now operated under the flag of Mongolia.

The Coast Guard sent an airplane, and it was able to locate a life raft drifting about 300 meters from the vessel. A Coast Guard patrol boat was able to recover five people from the raft at around 10:30 a.m.. It also began a firefighting operation.

Initial reports said a sixth crewmember, believed to be the chief engineer, was reported missing. A search was underway for the missing individual. Teams were able to board the tug around 4:00 p.m., and a search located an unconscious body. He was later pronounced deceased.

Five Rescued, One Died in Tugboat Fire off Japan

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