Update: Five Dead, Seven Missing after Tanker-Fishing Vessel Collision off Japan

Japanese Coast Guard Five bodies of the 12 missing crew members have been found inside the Chinese fishing boat Lurong Yuanyu 378 that sank on Thursday, October 5 following a collision with a Hong Kong-flagged tanker, the AFP reported citing the Japanese Coast Guard. The search and rescue operation for the seven persons that remain missing remains underway. The Japanese Coast Guard said on Thursday the collision occurred around 400 km off Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan. Four crew members of the fishing boat were rescued on the same day. The 21 crew members of the Aframax tanker, identified as Brightoil Lucky, are all accounted for and there have been no injuries reported. The 114,999 DWT tanker is listed as part of Brightoil Shippings fleet, built in 2009 by Koreas Hanjin Heavy Industries. World Maritime News Staff