Bodies of six people, suspected to be those of Russian crew members, were found inside Taigan, a Cambodia- registered freighter that caught fire Thursday while anchored in Japanese port of Wakkanai, the Associated Press informed.
In addition, the remaining seventeen, out of a 23 membered crew of Russian and Ukrainian nationals, were rescued from the fire that took twelve hours for the local coast guard teams to extinguish. The rescued were rushed to the hospital, and, as reported, have not sustained serious injuries aside to smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The freighter had transported crabs from a Sakhalin port and has been anchored in Wakknai since Tuesday.
[mappress] World Maritime News Staff, May 16, 2013