South Korean cargo ship catches fire in Pacific Ocean

Tokyo, April 20 (IANS) A South Korean cargo ship engulfed in fire Saturday in the Pacific Ocean off Japan's Wakayama prefecture. But all crew members are safe, media reports said.

All 24 crew members including 11 South Koreans and 13 Philippines escaped by lifeboats.

Japan's Fourth Regional Coast Guard Headquarters received an emergency call in the evening, saying the South Korean cargo ship caught fire while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, about 740 km southeast of Shionomisaki in Wakayama Prefecture, reported Xinhua citing local media.

The 71,383-tonne cargo ship "Asian empire", which carries vehicles, is believed to be drifting in the ocean, and Japan's Coast Guard has dispatched patrol boats to search for the ship.