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File photo of the South Korean Cost Guard Ahn Young-joon/AP/Press Association Images
South Korea
Five die in unexplained South Korean cargo ship explosion
An unexplained explosion partially sank a cargo ship of South Korea’s west coast earlier today, killing five people and leaving six others missing.
AN UNEXPLAINED EXPLOSION on a cargo ship sailing near to South Korea’s west coast has killed five people and left six others missing.
The vessel partially sank following the blast, which destroyed the front half of the 4,191-tonne freight ship, Reuters reports.
Five people were killed in the incident, and two of the victims’ bodies showed signs of serious wounds – indicating that they were killed by the explosion itself, the coastguard said. Meanwhile, five other crewmen were rescued.
Rescue teams are continuing to look for six missing people.
The crew included 11 Koreans and five Burmese, according to the Guardian.
The coastguard said it did not yet know what caused the blast but added it did not suspect North Korea as being responsible.
In 2010, South Korea accused the North of torpedoing one of their warships, killing 46 sailors. North Korea has denied the claims.
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