South Korean chemical tanker capsizes off Japan; 5 missing

Tokyo, March 20 : Five crew members are missing after a South Korean chemical tanker capsized off Japans west coast Wednesday, Japans coast guard officials said.

The Keoyoung Sun vessel, carrying 11 crew members, made the distress call to the Japanese Coast Guard at around 7 a.

m., reporting that it was tilting in waters near an island of the Shimonoseki city in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yonhap news agency reported.

Of the 11 crew members on board -- two South Koreans, eight Indonesians and one Chinese -- six have been rescued and five others were unaccounted for.

No details on the nationalities of the rescued and missing were immediately known.

The ship was apparently anchoring due to high waves and strong winds.

The coast guard said its aircraft and patrol ships were conducting rescue operations.

Details are awaited.

int/svn