Collision at Sea

We sometimes forget that international shipping is a dangerous business.

Two ships collided, one sunk, there are still 16 sailors missing.

Sixteen sailors, including seven South Koreans, went missing Tuesday after their cargo ship collided with a larger freighter and sank off the coast of Japan, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday, quoting South Korea's Coast Guard.

The sailors who included nine Indonesian crew aboard the 4,255-ton ship went missing after the ship collided with a Panamanian-registered automobile carrier at around 2:15 a.m. approximately seven miles east of Izu Oshima island, according to officials.

The 10,833-ton Panamanian ship was also sinking but all of the 11 sailors on board were rescued by Japanese coast guard authorities, they said.

The South Korean-registered ship, named the "Orchid Pia," was carrying some 5,050 tons of steel coil from Japan to the South Korean southern port of Yeosu.

The car carrier was the Cyngnus Ace, Panamanian Registered. I have not been able to determine who owns this vessel.