By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The Navy has found an object on the sea floor which is suspected of being the hull of the cargo vessel Eastern Bright, which sank Tuesday in seas off Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
The maritime authorities are conducting a detailed examination.
An official of the Navy said Wednesday that a patrol ship found a shipwreck using sonar in seas 20 miles east from Geomun Island, which is part of Yeosu, around 8:50 p.m. Tuesday.
The Navy suspects the 80-meter-long object is the Eastern Bright, considering that the bow was facing in the direction of Taiwan, the ship's original destination, and that there were no similar objects within a one-kilometer radius.
The Navy and the Korea Coast Guard are jointly investigating the object.
After the sinking of the 1,300-ton Eastern Bright, only one sailor has been rescued so far and the other 14 crewmen ― 12 Koreans and two Myanmarese ― listed as missing.
The rescued seaman, a 29-year-old Myanmarese, said the crew was sleeping and he fell out of his bunk when the ship started shaking. The ship listed 90 degrees and then sank, he said, adding he managed to don a life vest but the other crewmen failed to do so.
As the ship was carrying 2,000 tons of nitric acid, the coast guard is concerned over possible pollution. The coast guard presumes the chances are low, as the chemical tanks in the ship are well equipped with safety devices.