• Full Story

Burned fishermen to be flown from Antarctica

Print

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:09a.m.

The 51-metre-long (155 feet) South Korean fishing vessel, Jung Woo 2, burns in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic ice shelf (Reuters)

The 51-metre-long (155 feet) South Korean fishing vessel, Jung Woo 2, burns in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic ice shelf (Reuters)

Rescue officials say a US Air Force plane will airlift seven crewmen burned in a raging fire on their ship near Antarctica that killed three other fishermen.

They say the plane will leave New Zealand today and fly to Antarctica to pick up the four Vietnamese and three Indonesian crew.

The fire on the South Korean ship Jung Woo 2 quickly spread despite the crew's attempts to fight it Wednesday. Thirty-seven crew members were rescued, including the injured. Two were severely burned and were initially unconscious.

The injured crewmen have been receiving medical treatment on an Antarctic-bound US research vessel with medical staff and facilities.

Weather and other factors will determine when the ship and plane rendezvous at McMurdo base. New Zealand's rescue coordination centre estimated the plane would return with the injured crewmen to Christchurch late this morning New Zealand time.

The burning boat will be towed from Antarctica to minimise the environmental impact.

AP

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments