Rescuers search for missing crew after South Korean tanker capsizes

Two crewmembers are missing after a South Korean tanker capsized off an island in south-western Japan.

The coast guard said it had rescued nine people after receiving a distress call from the Keoyoung Sun chemical tanker, saying that the vessel was tilting while taking refuge near Japan’s Mutsure Island due to rough weather.

The ship was completely capsized by the time rescuers arrived at the scene, the coast guard said.

Footage on NHK television showed the ship completely upside down, a rough sea washing over its red underside.

The conditions of the rescued crewmembers are not known.

The tanker was carrying 980 tonnes of acrylic acid, officials said.

No leak has been detected, and officials are studying what environmental protection measures may be needed in case there is a leak.

Acrylic acid is used in plastics, resin and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.