CHONG GEN

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Bulkcarrier sank off Japan

The crew of 26 of the "Chong Gen" was rescued from lifeboats by a boat of the Nagasaki Coast Guard Department after their vessel capsized and sank 30 miles southwest of Fukue Island, Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture, in the East China Sea. The ship had issued a distress signal on Jan 11, 2017, at 4.55 p.m. reporting water ingress and the danger of sinking. A patrol boat of the 7th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Kitakyushu city approached the distressed vessel, which was anchored, and initially found no immediate danger of sinking. The vessel developed an increasing list to starboard side and went down by the bow until it finally rolled over just before dawn 27 kilometers from the shore. It sank on Dec 12 at 5.45 a.m. The "Chong Gen" was carrying a cargo of 5720 tons rice from the North Korean port of Nampo on the west coast to Wonsan in the east, which meant getting around the Korean peninsula by the south. The fate of the 26 unharmed North Koreans remained undetermined, as Japan does not have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. Reports with photos: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/11/asia/north-koreans-rescued-japan/ http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20170112/k10010836231000.html