A South Korean product tanker Doola No. 3 sank on Sunday morning, in waters three miles north of Jawol Island after explosion on board.
Five crew members are dead and six missing, the coastguard said.
It is assumed that the explosion may have been caused by static electricity that ignited gasoline vapors from an onboard tank.
An Official from Doola Shipping, the owner of the vessel, said that the vessel usually transports diesel, but this time it carried gasoline and the company is now examining whether it had any relation to the explosion, Yonhap news agency reports.
[mappress] World Maritime News Staff, January 16, 2012