Japanese navy ship catches fire near Kyushu - crew member goes missing

A major fire-incident hit the Japanese navyʼs mine-sweeping vessel today causing serious problems for its crew members. Admiral Akira Saito reported that one sailor needed hospital care due to smoke problems while another crew-member remains un-found

The trouble started around early morning hours when the mine-sweeper Ukushima (which was moving near Fukuokaʼs northern waters) got its engine-room caught up in flames. Multiple blast-like sounds came from the ship but their source isnt clear yet; the investigation is still going on

The ships entire crew moved to a near-by vessel except for the missing person. Saito who leads the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force said the fire-fighting work was still happening late into the evening: the situation looked serious enough that the ship might sink if they dont stop the flames

The Ukushima was heading to south-east Kyushu for some mine-related practice tasks that were set for next week. Admiral Saito pointed out an interesting fact: their navy hasnt lost any war-ships to fires before

Weʼll do our best to extinguish the fire and search for the missing crew member