A South Korean cargo ship vanishes 1,500 miles off the coast of Uruguay. There were 24 crew members on-board, just 2 have been rescued and 22 crew members remain missing. The survivors were found in a life raft but many lifeboats were empty. The Stellar Daisy is a 266,000-ton ship owned by Polaris Shipping.
The South Korean foreign ministry stated that the cargo ship was sailing from Brazil to China when it sent a distress signal around noon Friday. UPI reports that the ship was in the Atlantic Ocean when the tragedy took place. Two Filipino crew members were found and they were rescued.
The South Korean cargo ship was built in 1993. It was carrying sixteen Filipino and eight Korean sailors when crew members texted their employer that the ship was sinking. The distress signal was: It is an emergency.
More details about the accident
The crew members reported a water leakage at port No. 2. They also stated that the ship was slanting fast toward the port side. This is a very serious situation, a ministry official stated that it is possible that the ship has already sunk. The South Korean embassy in Brazil sought assistance in finding the missing crew. The Brazilian Air Force decided to help the Koreans, it dispatched a C-130 plane to the site.
Some ships went to the scene to help, they detected a strong smell of fuel and debris which means that the cargo has sunk. Although it is a South Korean ship, it was registered in the Marshall Islands. The cargo ship departed from Rio de Janeiro on March 26.
The South Korean ship was carrying iron ore. Cargo ships transport huge amounts of products worldwide. South Korea has one of the largest levels of ship production on the planet. Although technology has advanced a lot, accidents still happen.
